Circa 1976: The Turning Point
by Minxie
Summary: The stereotypical geeky girl: socially inept, plain, always overlooked. But when this geek blossoms into a beauty, she catches the eye of resident school player Sirius Black, much to her 'chagrin'. JamesLily, SiriusOC
1. The Maraudettes

**Circa 1976: The Turning Point**

By Minxie

**Disclaimer:** HP belongs to nobody but the magnificent J.K. Rowling herself : ).

**Summary:**A year of romance, intrigue, and adventure for the students at Hogwarts. Popular and dashing James Potter, of course, is very much in love with the lovely Lily Evans, but she is having none of it, despite his best efforts to woo her. His best friend Sirius Black, with his good looks and charm, is the ultimate ladies' man, with a different girl every week. When one particular girl, who's spent her entire time thus far at Hogwarts as rather plain and bookish blossoms into a beauty herself, Sirius can't help but notice. However, he soon finds himself in a predicament much like that of his best friend when his advances towards her are rejected. To what lengths will these two swaggering egotists go to win their sweethearts over? And will they change for the better in the process? You'll have to read on to find out ;).

**Warning:** will contain teen drama, oh so evil popular girls, wild pranks, heated snogging sessions, conspiring Slytherins... There also may be some darker elements later on...

Give it a shot, you might like it :). At least I hope...(crosses fingers)

* * *

**Prologue**

Dear Diary,

My mum got me this diary as a sixteenth birthday present just last week. This would be my first entry ever, and it should be made clear that I only do this to stop my dear mummy from nagging me to do it in the first place. I've always found diaries to be a silly waste of time, personally.

Anyways, I guess I should start by describing my life. My name is Kylie Hart. I'm the only daughter and child of Hyun and Randolph Hart. My maternal grandparents were Muggle Korean-Americans, and my mum came here to Britain to take part in the International Confederation of Wizards Junior League Competition that was held at Hogwarts years ago. That was when she met and eventually married my dad. Her sister, Min, lives in California with her daughter, Romola. The Hart family, from what my parents have told me, can be traced back for several centuries, and has always been a family of pureblood wizards and witches. That is, of course, until my dad decided to marry my Muggleborn mother against the very particular wishes of the rest of the family (some of them can be the worst when it comes to their stupid 'pureblood superiority' nonsense).

I guess you could say the Hart family is an aristocratic lot. All our wealth has been passed on and on for centuries, and so has the Hart manor. It's a nice place to live in and all, but sometimes I wonder if it would be much more comfortable to live in a tad bit smaller of a home… that didn't seem quite so "_alive_", if you know what I mean. I guess that's the cost of living in an old wizard family's house when you're surrounded by magical things and have to contend with doors that mysteriously vanish, moving staircases, ghosts, or portraits that like to gossip and spy on you. That sort of thing.

Anyhow, tomorrow I will be leaving to start my sixth year at Hogwarts. I was fortunate enough last year to do rather well on my O.W.Ls. I got nine, most of them with Outstanding marks, except for in Transfiguration (E), D.A.D.A (E), and Divination (P). I've never been very good at Transfig, and I've always hated Divination. I'm amazed I didn't get a D grade! The only classes I feel strong with are Charms and Ancient Runes… and that's about it. But, high marks mean taking those grueling N.E.W.T classes.

Of course, my parents insist that I take as many as possible, which is going to be horrible this year with all my other prefect duties. I mean, I'm not even supposed to _be_ a prefect. There's usually just two per house, but our year is 'special' because we have a much bigger class, which apparently means you need _three_ prefects per house instead. Sure the staff _said_ that, but I think it's just because our class has so many more _troublemakers_ than any others. My best friend, Lily Evans, is another girl prefect in my house, but I dunno why I got picked also, considering I'm hardly prefect material compared to others. But, whatever.

So, now that I'm on the subject of my friends... I'm in Gryffindor house, and there are six other girls. There's Lily, of course, who's definitely the nicest person I know. She's the studious, attentive one of our year. She's also been the most popular amongst the boys ever since they all decided she was worth looking at in our fourth year. (Honestly, males can be so shallow.) She ignores them all, of course, but that doesn't mean they've given up (I swear she got at least fifty love notes a week last year).

Two other good friends of mine in Gryffindor are Taren Briggs and Kimmie Denton. Kimmie, when I first met her, was kind of a hardcore tomboy – she's always loved playing around and breaking the rules. She's definitely the most vivacious amongst our little group, and until recently (now that she's apparently grown out of the tomboyish stage) she's also been the one who dates the most. I lost track of how many boys she's dated (she's very fickle and never sticks with one guy for very long). Taren is a very outspoken, opinionated person, and loves to give advice and help out everyone with everything. She's very sweet, and is very studious like Lily – they're both the responsible/extra credit doing/non-stop working/no nonsense ones. If there's anyone who should've been a prefect instead of me, it's totally her. Anyhow, the three of them are my best friends in the whole world.

In Gryffindor there are also the Brooks twins, Opal and Ocean (why their parents gave them those names I have no idea). I don't really know what to say about those two. I mean, they're both really sweet and always mean well, but sometimes they can be the most annoying human beings on the planet. They're both blonde and very pretty, and they both know it, too. It has sadly made them rather full of themselves. Plus they tend to talk and talk and talk nonstop about the dullest things imaginable. I do my best to be as polite as possible, even though I can barely stand them. The last girl is Mallory Dodge, and I swear she is so much like the twins that they might as well have been triplets together instead. Those three have their own "we-love-hot-guys-and-shopping-obsessively" club together, and it takes up a lot of their time. They've survived the school years mostly from borrowing everyone else's notes or getting tutored by Lily or Taren.

As for me, I'm short and too skinny. (I personally would give anything to be at least a head taller! Have you any idea how hard it is to enforce your prefect authority when you're as tiny as I am?). I hate my hair and I wish my eyes were a different color. I have to wear glasses that I hate because they don't suit me at all. I play Seeker for my house team, something that I don't think boys find feminine enough. I've been on dates, sure, if you can call them that when your supposed 'date' spends the whole time ogling other females in the vicinity or treating you like just another one of their guy friends. Never had a boyfriend, and never been kissed… yet. But classes and homework take up all my time so who needs boyfriends anyway?

And that happens to bring me to another subject: the _boys_ of our year.

During my time at Hogwarts, I've often wondered whether I was cursed to be stuck in the same year and house of the Marauders; a little 'clique', shall we say, of the most irritating pranksters imaginable. The worst are the ringleaders, James Potter and Sirius Black. They're almost like brothers because they're rarely seen apart, and they're famous at Hogwarts for their tendency of causing mayhem and breaking the rules whenever possible. It galls me that so many girls from the other houses are constantly nagging me about them, whether it's for information on their likes and dislikes, or if I could be so kind as to arrange for them to meet so that they can 'hook up'. Honestly! And just because they're extremely good looking and both play Quidditch like pros. How people can be so superficial is beyond me. (Personally, I could never like someone that egotistical, no matter how 'outrageously handsome' he was.)

It's actually rather amusing that James Potter, who can easily get whatever girl he wanted, has set his sights on Lily. Kimmie says it's a psychological thing. "You always want what you can't have." The same seems to apply to James and his fondness for Lily. I could almost feel sorry for him at his feeble attempts in wooing her… except he's like the biggest jerk on the planet so I don't really care at all.

No, wait, I take that back. Though James may be a git, that honorable title belongs only to Sirius Black. No one else I know could say the most asinine comments conceivable like he does. He is rude, conceited, and a womanizer. Until I met him I never knew someone could be so full of himself – so completely narcissistic! That prick irritates me to no end, and it totally gets on my nerves whenever some empty-headed girl completely disregards his less-than-saintly reputation and shamelessly flirts and pines for him. God, just because he happens to be a "total hottie!" (This I state with an appropriate role of my eyes.)

Now then, the other two amongst the Marauders aren't nearly as bad as James and Sirius. Remus Lupin, for instance, is actually a very respectable and nice fellow classmate. He's even a prefect. It's weird how Remus is so different compared to the other guys, and they're still best mates. He's the only one I can stand to be in the same room with. Plus he is a really good friend and one of the few boys I know considerate enough to listen to your opinions/problems and not burst out laughing at them like some people I know. The other one is Peter Pettigrew. He's a really timid boy who doesn't seem to be nearly as talented in classes as the other 'Marauders'. He's hardly ever seen not tailing after his heroes, James and Sirius, and seems more than willingly to be their lapdog.

There are three other Gryffindor boys in our year but they aren't counted amongst the Marauders. There's Kingsley Shacklebolt, and he's a lot like Remus in that he's got sense and respectability. There's also Dedalus Diggle, and I must say the word that comes to mind for him is silly. He's a sweet fellow and means well, but he's somewhat clumsy, and gets carried away with things easily. Quite a few accidents have happened in Charms and Transfiguration because of his antics, but they're more in the way of amusing rather than serious. There's also Tobias Randall (who goes by Toby), and he's basically a matey with everyone because he's such a friendly, laid-back guy. He's almost as popular with the ladies as the 'infamous duo' is, except he doesn't gloat about it half as much. He's also a Chaser on our house team (alongside Sirius and James).

I seem to be meticulously describing all my friends and anyone else I'm associated with, so I might as well talk about those few I don't like at all. Those people who are my 'enemies', or in a simplified term, the Slytherins. Somehow all the students in that house manage to become really unpleasant characters who seem to despise all Gryffindors and anyone who isn't pureblood. Even their head of house, Professor Hooke, doesn't like us. There's this one gang who loathes us the most, and are considered the 'Dark Arts fanatics'. Well, that's what James and Sirius always call them, and I can't help but agree. There's Rodolphus Lestrange and his older brother Rabastan (despicable boys, always up to no good), Cyril Avery (short sneaky guy, likes to start nasty rumors about people he doesn't like, particularly Gryffindors), Grigori Jugson and Eugene Thackeray (both all around bullies), Bartemius Crouch (would be a nice-looking kid if he wasn't so creepy and obsessed with Dark curses), and fifth year Regulus Black (Sirius' younger brother, never has a nice thing to say to anyone), to name a few. The girl's are as bad as the guys, too. Stringy haired Pascale Wilkes is spiteful and mean, and has never failed to send some awful remark at a Gryffindor whenever she sees one, especially to Lily. There's also Bellatrix Black, Sirius' cousin. She's vain, malicious, cruel hearted, and horribly callow. It's been extremely difficult keeping my temper in check in her presence. I am, after all, a prefect, and I'm supposed to be an example to other students. She and Severus Snape, they're the worst.

You could say Snape was the Marauder's worst enemy. He's a mean and slimy little oddball who came to school knowing more curses than most seventh year students. He's always hated James and Sirius, ever since they met as first years. I think he was jealous of their popularity, and he's apparently been determined to get them expelled for years. I'm so relieved that Lily's stopped hanging out with him after all these years - she knew Snape for a while before Hogwarts and apparently he was tolerable enough company once (something I find incredibly hard to believe - I think Lily may have exaggerated a bit, she's too nice)... At least she's finally seen the light when it comes to that creep.

I've certainly written a lot for someone who claims to be above diary writings, haven't I? I guess once I got started the words just kept coming. I could probably think of loads more to write about… but I'm not going to do it (at least not today). What I've written so far seems to have created a so-so picture of my life (most of it blurred by my own personal opinions and prejudices), so I'm going to bed. Big, early, hectic back-to-school morning to look forward to…

_Kylie_

_

* * *

**Chapter One: The "Maraudettes"** _

"I'll send an owl as soon as I can, Mrs. Eliot," Kylie said, giving her old nanny (and now housekeeper) a warm hug.

"I'm sorry your parents couldn't be here to escort you instead, my dear. They're always very busy, of course," the elderly woman said anxiously.

"It's okay, I know," Kylie replied with a smile.

"Have a good year, darling," Mrs. Eliot said briskly as the beaming, petite girl clothed in billowy black school robes spun around to get onto the Hogwarts Express, having loaded her luggage already. She handed her the girl's bag. "Do remember your studies! You know how important they are! Your parents love you!"

"_Yes_, Mrs. Eliot. I know. Goodbye!"

Soon she was winding her way down the train corridor, looking for the prefect's compartments. Other students were still crowding the station platform even as the train's warning bell went off.

"Kylie!" Lily Evans cried, leaping to her feet as Kylie appeared in the compartment doorway. "It's so good to see you!"

"Hey, Lily," Kylie smiled, hugging her fiery-haired best friend and sitting down. "It's been ages, how are you?"

"Oh, terrible! My parents have been constantly fawning over me ever since I got my O.W.L. results and now Petunia hates me more than ever," sighed Lily, the sparkle fading momentarily from her jade green eyes.

"Hasn't your sister always been like that?"

"Yes, but now she won't even look at me. At least before she would acknowledge my existence by insulting me, but now it's as though she can't stand the sight of me!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Lil. You shouldn't let her get to you, though. She's just jealous, isn't she?"

Lily sighed with a shrug. "I… suppose… I don't see why she should be, though. I mean, she got angry when our parents favored me all the time, but I'm only home for the summers. She's with them the whole school year."

Kylie shrugged as well. "She probably wishes she could go to Hogwarts as well. Just think what it must be like, not using magic, ever."

Lily nodded, glancing out the window to the platform that was now devoid of students. "You know, it didn't make things any better with _him_ sending me an owl every week," she muttered, her kind eyes suddenly flashing dangerously.

"I suppose you mean James?" asked Kylie, failing to suppress a chuckle. "Is he _still_ trying to ask you out?"

"Yes, unfortunately," she replied, bristling. "Why can't he just go after some Hufflepuff girl? They all _love_ him. Why _me_?"

"It's a guy thing," answered Kylie simply. "You know how they can be about manly pride."

"Indeed," Lily said, trailing off with a grumpy look.

A whistle went off, and the train started to move. The prefects from the other houses were now arriving in the large prefect compartment, including Remus Lupin. He greeted them with a nod of his sandy-brown head and sat down next to Lily.

"Hey," he said with a friendly smile.

"Hey Remus," Lily said brightly.

"Have a good summer?" asked Kylie.

"An interesting one, no doubt. Sirius ran away from his home last month," he answered thoughtfully.

"What? Why?" she blurted out with surprise, while Lily gave Remus a wide-eyed look.

"He had his reasons," he said quietly after a moment. "I probably would have too, having met that mother of his."

"Where did he go?" asked Lily curiously.

"To James' place," he replied. "I went there a few times myself this summer. Peter, too."

"Oh, I should have known," Lily said with a sigh. "You know I _thought_ Sirius was giving James tips in all those notes he sent me all month. It certainly seemed like it."

Remus chortled. "Well… they were. James discussed you quite often."

Lily let out a derisive snort.

"I was just with him a moment ago," added Remus. "I think he wants to talk to you."

"He _always_ wants to talk to me! And he _always_ says the same thing!" cried Lily, folding her arms with an angry frown. "Does he think if he persists in annoying me I'll finally relent and go out with him?"

Remus smiled and shrugged. "He usually keeps those thoughts to himself. I wouldn't know."

Judging from the look on his face, Kylie assumed he knew exactly what James was thinking regarding Lily. She chose not to say anything except give him pointed look, raising one brow.

They were soon joined by the sixth year Hufflepuff prefects, Sedgewick Olsten, Pippa Simmons and Bellany Abbey, and then the Ravenclaws, Jack Davies, Florence Ashton and Xiu Chen. The Slytherin prefects, Bartemius Crouch Jr., Rodolphus Lestrange and Ursula Urvins sauntered past them, giving them dark looks before sitting with the other Slytherins.

Bellany was eagerly inquiring Remus about whether James and Sirius were currently single when the new Head Boy and Girl arrived to give instructions.

When all was said and done, Lily and Kylie said goodbye to Remus, intending to seek out Kimmie Denton and Taren Briggs before it was their turn to patrol the corridors. They found them soon enough in a compartment trading Chocolate Frog cards.

"_There_ you two are! We've been waiting forever!" exclaimed Kimmie.

"So sorry to keep you. I trust you've been enjoying yourselves in our absence?" Kylie asked, grinning as they took a seat.

"Not at all," sighed Taren, throwing back her shoulder-length dark hair over her shoulder. "James came by a little while ago to pester us about you, Lil, and then the Brooks twins stopped by to giggle and gossip with us before they left to look for James and Sirius. That's all."

Lily's eyes had flashed again at the mention of James, but she smiled anyway. "How are you guys? Kimmie! You dyed your hair!"

Kimmie nodded, beaming. "Got it done yesterday, d'you like it?" she asked, running a hand through her long wavy brown hair she'd recently highlighted with a shade of bright red.

"I like it," Kylie said. "My mum would never let me dye mine. I'm barely allowed to change it at all."

"Why should you?" Taren exclaimed, giving Kylie's ebony hair an admiring look. "You just need to not tie it up all the time because you have gorgeous hair!"

"Nah, I don't…" muttered Kylie. "I wish I was blonde. Or had something different."

"Pfeh, nonsense," said Kimmie with a grin. "We have enough blondes in Gryffindor as it is."

"Too many in Hogwarts. Do you remember that Narcissa Black?" asked Taren.

"God, don't remind me," said Kimmie with a grimace of distaste. "At least she's not at school anymore. Except now we have her lovely little sister to deal with instead."

"You know, I never thought Narcissa was all that bad. She was just cold and aloof," said Lily. "Occasionally she got a _bit _uppity, but she wasn't _that_ loathsome. She often seemed lonely... I felt sorry for her sometimes."

"Lils, you feel sorry for everyone," sighed Kimmie with a smile. "You have too big a heart."

"I heard Narcissa got married," said Taren. "She's a Malfoy now."

"No way… You mean she married that Lucius Malfoy guy who graduated years ago?" asked Kylie with a grimace.

"The very same."

"She's got quite a _unique_ taste in men… I almost feel sorry for her. Ooh, I got Merlin!" Kimmie said, opening her Chocolate Frog. "Who wants to swap?"

Their conversation moved on to other topics, which included the difficult N.E.W.T courses they'd be taking that year in preparation for the examinations in their seventh year, as well as the end-of-year ball that only sixth and seventh years were allowed to attend. Kimmie was already contemplating with them who she wanted to go with as her date.

"Casey Shipley has been writing to me all summer, and he keeps mentioning the ball," she stated, chewing on some Drooble's Best Blowing Gum.

"Well, clearly he's giving you hints. But wasn't he going out with that Simmons girl?" asked Lily.

There was a sudden shuffling from the corridor outside, and the door slid open to reveal the frame of a tall, lithe athletic figure in billowing Hogwarts robes. "Well, how are you doing, ladies?" Sirius Black asked slyly, shaking back his dark hair, his intense grey eyes taking in the room in a glance. He gave them a devilishly charming smile that was famous for often sending its female bearers into near swooning fits. "What are you all discussing so animatedly?"

Kylie bit back the retort that came instantly to mind, instead giving him a strained smile and saying lightly, "Oh, nothing you'd find interesting, I'm sure."

"Yes, well, I'm also _sure_ that we can be the judge of that," he replied, sweeping into the compartment and sitting down beside her before any of them could say a word. James Potter was right behind him.

"Hey all, Remus had to do corridor patrol so we thought we might as well join you," he said with a grin not unlike his best friend's, one hand as usual rumpling up his unruly black hair as he sat down in the remaining empty seat, conveniently located next to Lily. She looked less than pleased.

"Is there something you want?" she asked dully.

"_Evans_!" James cried as though he'd just seen her. "What a pleasant surprise!"

"Oh, please," she muttered, not bothering to look at him.

"Why, Evans, you act as though you aren't happy to see me," he said, feigning a politely puzzled expression.

"Gee, I wonder why."

"Aw, come on, you aren't still mad about that _sweet_ little birthday card I sent you, are you?"

Lily snorted. "I think 'sweet' isn't quite the right word to describe it, _Potter_."

"Whatever do you mean?" he asked innocently.

"What I _mean_, Potter, is that your adorable little birthday card opened itself the second it arrived in the house, bursting into song and bombarding the sitting room with roses, _right_ when my parents happened to be having some _extremely_ important business partners over for dinner! _Muggle_ business partners!" She was looking at him directly now, her cheeks flushed with crimson fury. Everyone in the compartment was watching the scene as if it were a particularly intense episode in a daytime TV drama.

"So you didn't hear the song?" James asked.

"Oh I heard it alright," Lily snapped. "Its screeching could be heard for miles and it shook the house like an earthquake! Do you know how humiliating it was when they all stared at me afterwards as if I'd walked in the room naked? The Accidental Magical Reversal Squad had to come and _sort it out_!"

James didn't reply. Apparently Lily talking about nakedness had caught him off guard. He quickly regained his composure, though. "Oh, well, I, uh, kinda thought it would be romantic," he said with a shrug.

"_Romantic_? Potter, a date in a pigsty would be more romantic than that!"

He looked at her quietly for a moment. "Oh… I'm really sorry, Evans," he replied apologetically.

Lily, who had clearly been prepared for some sort of snide remark, looked stunned.

"I didn't mean for you to get embarrassed," he continued. "I just wanted to give you something special for your birthday, you know? And I knew you would probably trash it, so I made sure it would open right away. I never meant to cause you any trouble. Please forgive me?"

The silence in the compartment was deafening. Lily was speechless. Kylie gaped soundlessly at him. As far as she knew, James had never truly apologized to anyone before. Well, at least not willingly. It felt like they'd entered a parallel universe.

A sudden muffled noise that sounded suspiciously like a smirk came from Sirius. She glimpsed at his face and knew at once that he was trying very hard not to laugh.

_Oh, I see now_… she thought with a wry smile. _It was an act. And I almost thought James was being sincere for a second._

Lily was saved the trouble of answering James when the door slid open to reveal Remus.

"Hey, guys," he greeted with a smile. "Just finished my patrolling shift."

"Good, we'll do ours then!" Lily said, instantly jumping to her feet and hurrying out the door, giving Kylie a pointed look. Kylie said a quick goodbye to Kimmie, Taren and Remus, swept an appraising gaze over James and Sirius, and then followed Lily into the corridor.

"Was something wrong with Lily?" asked Remus curiously.

"Oh no. She's just pleasantly surprised," responded James smugly. Kimmie glanced suspiciously at him.

"More like befuddled," added Sirius.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Taren.

"It means, Taren, that James has once more fooled himself into thinking he can trick Lily into falling for him," explained Kimmie, absently thumbing through her cards.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" demanded James indignantly.

"You'll see."

Remus and Sirius chuckled.

* * *

"_Ooh_, that Potter! That bounder!" ranted Lily for probably the twentieth time since they'd left their compartment, after they'd both just finished breaking up a fight between some first years over the last Pumpkin Pasty. "I can't believe him! At first I really thought he'd accidentally sent that card to the sitting room instead of to my room, but now I _know_ that he did it on purpose! And you know what else he did? He wrote to my _parents_ and asked them when I would do my school shopping because he was 'one of my _greatest_ friends at school', and they told him! So, of course, he chases me all over Diagon Alley, nagging me to let him carry my bags and insisting I share a sundae with him! Even when I said no thank you he _still _wouldn't leave me alone! I swear if he doesn't stop haunting my steps I might just go out with him to get him to go away!" 

"That's exactly what he's hoping for, I think," Kylie replied, smiling. "And I don't think going out with him would make him 'go away', Lil."

"Right, right."

They passed an open compartment occupied by a bunch of Slytherins. Pascale Wilkes, eyeing them contemptuously through her stringy dark bangs, whispered something inaudible to her friends and the whole bunch of them laughed raucously, staring at them the whole time.

"Eww, shut the door before I pass out from that nasty Mudblood's stink!" cried Bellatrix Black maliciously to the great amusement of her pals.

Kylie immediately bristled up, ready to march straight in there and demonstrate some of the more creative jinxes and hexes she'd learned off of James and Sirius over the years, but Lily grabbed her wrist and yanked her quickly along the corridor.

"Just ignore them," she said, not sparing the Slytherins one glance and holding her head high defiantly.

As they made their way back to their own compartment, the unmistakable sound of two twittering blondes and their equally twittering companion reached their ears. They arrived to see Opal and Ocean Brooks and Mallory Dodge, looking as gorgeous as ever. They were on either sides of the room, seated next to Sirius or James, and they were laughing heartily at one of Sirius' jokes. Peter Pettigrew was there now, except he was sitting in the far corner, looking somewhat forgotten by the others (though that didn't seem to be bother him in the slightest). Remus, who Kylie knew had little respect for the frivolous Brooks twins, was reading a book quietly. Kimmie and Taren were apparently joined in the conversation, except they weren't giggling half as much as the twins were.

"Welcome back, you two," said Sirius, spotting them immediately and tilting his head in greeting. He looked very comfortable indeed between Ocean and Mallory who were sitting almost indecently close to him.

"Evans!" cried James. Kylie saw him quickly inch away from Opal so that they weren't sitting so close together.

He was probably going to say something else, except Opal interrupted him. "Hi Lily! Hi Kylie! I'm sorry, we seem to have stolen your seats." She was beaming at them cheerfully, but Kylie knew she wouldn't give up her seat next to James even to save her life.

"Fine by me," replied Lily, her tone dangerous as she looked scathingly at James. "We were just on our way back to the prefect carriage anyway, weren't we, Kylie?"

"That's right," she answered, suppressing her laughter at the disappointment etched all over James' face.

"We'll see you later, then," said Kimmie with a grin.

* * *

The rest of the trip went by relatively fast. Lily ranted a few more times about James, and they had to break up a few more little skirmishes and stop students from racing up and down the corridors. Soon darkness fell and the train pulled into Hogsmeade Station. They met up with Kimmie and Taren on the tiny platform and together made their way to where the carriages were lined up. The gamekeeper Hagrid was easily seen directing all the first years down to the lake, his booming voice reaching everyone's ears clearly. 

As Kylie stepped up behind Taren into one of the carriages, she glanced up and spotted the Marauders in the carriage in front of them. The blonde trio wasn't with them, surprisingly. Sirius winked at them and then disappeared into their carriage, while James sent Lily an imploring look. She pretended not to see him.

"Come on, Kylie! Don't want the feast starting without us!" she said, stepping behind Kylie into the carriage.

The Sorting felt like it lasted an eternity, of course, and the wonderful start of term feast ended way too soon. It wasn't long before all the sixth year Gryffindor girls were settled comfortably once more in their familiar circular dormitory, the brightness of the almost full moon shining in through the windows.

"I have this feeling," said Kimmie from where she was rummaging through her trunk. "You know, like a premonition sorta thing."

"Whaddya mean, Kim?" asked Ocean and Opal simultaneously. They both gasped, "Jinx!" at the same time and then promptly burst into fits of giggles, quite forgetting what Kimmie had just said. Kylie and Taren covered their mouths to hide their smiles while Lily just rolled her eyes.

"It's gonna be one mad year," said Kimmie finally.

"You mean more mad than all the others so far?" asked Kylie, stifling a yawn.

Kimmie just shrugged and crawled into her own four-poster bed. "You never know with the classmates we've got," she replied quietly so only Kylie, whose bed was nearest to hers, could hear.

* * *

_And there you have the first chapter! _

_A/N: I first got the idea for this fic ages ago… probably while I was reading OotP and we got that very insightful look into the lives of Harry's parents while they were at school. I'd always wanted to know exactly what happened during the 'good ol' days', and because I hate waiting for the next HP book to come out, I decided to write my own version about it._

_A/N 7/30/07: Just a little note here - I've been going through and making tiny edits to the story, mostly to make it fit with canon better (such as the Snape/Lily story). I've meant to address the whole Slughorn issue (ever since book 6 came out 2 years ago) - my explanation for my fic is that Slughorn used to be Potions professor, except he retired a year or so earlier, maybe at the end of Lily, James' and everyone's fourth year (it would make sense, since he apparently wanted to go into hiding as soon as Voldemort's reign of terror really began). Then my story's Prof. Hooke came in to teach._


	2. Just A Normal Day

**Chapter 2: Just A Normal Day**

The next morning they arose bright and early and went to the Great Hall for their breakfast. Professor McGonagall, looking as briskly stern as ever, was already handing out all the Gryffindors' schedules.

"Yuck, bad Monday," sighed Kylie after glimpsing at her timetable briefly. "Double N.E.W.T Potions, History of Magic, and double N.E.W.T Transfiguration. Wonderful."

"I concur," grumbled Kimmie.

"Nah, it's not so bad," said Taren. "It's a great way to wake up our brains for the rest of the week."

"Hooke first thing Monday morning? No thank you," said Kylie. "I'm beginning to regret having studied so hard for that stupid Potions O.W.L. If I'd failed I wouldn't have gotten into the N.E.W.T course and we'd never have this problem."

"Don't be silly," said Lily with a smile. "_Professor_ Hooke may be strict, but he knows his Potions and we're learning lots from his classes."

"That's about _all_ he knows," said Kimmie, who was now poking absent-mindedly at her bacon with her fork.

"Potions and how to make a Gryffindor's life hell," agreed Kylie.

A sudden explosion of noise coming from the entrance hall sounded throughout the room, shaking the House tables like an earthquake. Lily, who had been reaching for her glass of pumpkin juice, started and nearly knocked it over, glancing around wildly. Several students screamed in shock.

"What on _earth_…?" she gasped. All the students' heads in the Great Hall swerved to stare at the entrance hall doors, where quite a few of the most unpopular Slytherins in the school were seen to be running wildly about in every direction and tripping over themselves in their haste to get away from what appeared to be a particularly huge gaseous, brown fog rapidly spreading over the marble staircase. Pascale Wilkes could be seen shrieking and cursing in shock from within, surrounded by her Slytherin gang.

"A dungbomb," muttered Kylie, wrinkling her nose. Kimmie and Taren giggled. "And I can guess who's behind it."

Sure enough, sitting at the other end of the Gryffindor table and roaring with laughter were the Marauders. Quite a few students were now laughing as well at the angry Slytherins struggling to untangle themselves from their peers to get away from the wretched stink.

"Hope you liked our wake up call!" called out James. Severus Snape gave him a nasty look and grasped for his wand, but then realized he'd dropped it somewhere in the entrance hall and had to scramble back into the cloud to try and find it.

While everyone continued to watch the scene playing out before them, Lily rolled her eyes and looked away.

"How can he even consider pulling such a stunt right in front of the teachers?" she asked incredulously.

"Well, none of the teachers seem to have even arrived yet," stated Taren, eyeing the staff table. "Professor McGonagall left a little while ago. There's no one but prefects here to tell them off."

"And they never listen to prefects anyway," said Kylie.

Mail came in the usual form of hundreds of owls sailing in through the upper windows, descending upon the breakfasters in a flurry of wings to deliver to their owners. In the resulting chaos, no one noticed all the smelly Slytherins slinking off to their dormitory to wash off, nor did anyone see James and Sirius remove all traces of the oddly noisy dungbomb with casual flicks of their wands so as to prevent a teacher like Hooke to use it as an excuse for detracting house points.

"Look, Lily, more love letters from your admiring fans," said Kimmie with a grin.

"Oh what nonsense," the redhead grumbled, choosing instead to read the _Daily Prophet_.

"You know, Lils, maybe you should take one of these poor guys up on their offer," suggested Kylie thoughtfully.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, if you had a big tough boyfriend, preferably a seventh year, it might discourage the advances of a certain young gentleman we know," she explained simply.

"Are you mad?" blurted Lily. "Potter would hex any boy I went out with to oblivion! No matter how 'tough' they might be! And no school rules would stop him, either."

"It might at least prove the sincerity of James' affection for you. I mean, if he really did care about you he wouldn't interfere with your relationships with other guys. Unless he really hated that particular guy," said Kylie with a smile.

"He'd hate any guy I went out with."

"Gee, _Lily_, from the way you're so opposed to dating anyone else, one might assume you and James are already an item," noted Kimmie analytically, her face mischievous.

"What?" Lily gabbled out, her cheeks aflame. "You think P-Potter and I are having some secret affair?"

Kimmie shrugged while Taren and Kylie giggled from suppressed mirth.

"Well, let me assure you that there is no such thing occurring," stated Lily with dignity. "I'd drop out of Hogwarts before _that_ ever happened."

Soon after breakfast they arrived in the creepy dungeon classroom for their first N.E.W.T Potions lesson of the year. They had that class with the Slytherins, of course, but it wasn't nearly as bad since half of them didn't even make into the N.E.W.T course anyway. Snape was there, though, with his friends Rodolphus Lestrange and Bartemius Crouch and a few other surly faced Slytherins. A few Gryffindors weren't present either, including the twins, Mallory, Peter and Dedalus.

After a brief introduction speech in which the pointed faced Professor (with his even more pointed black Vandyke beard) jabbered on and on about the importance and subtlety of potion brewing and how impossibly difficult the N.E.W.T course was, occasionally shooting vicious glares at all the Gryffindors, they were promptly given a lovely review assignment on brewing the Draught of Peace.

Being a review, the potion was especially difficult without the benefit of the instructions and ingredients written out clearly for them on the blackboard. Plus the boys were sitting behind them and Kylie found it quite a strain to concentrate with Sirius or James telling some joke or funny story every minute and hearing the whole lot of them cracking up over it.

History of Magic after that was as dull and boring as they remembered. The ancient ghost Professor Binns began by droning endlessly on about some period in history no one in class really cared about at all. Kimmie was fast asleep with her head on her desk within ten minutes. Kylie did try to stay awake and resist the urge to rest her eyes, dozing off every minute or so and jerking herself awake again. It was a fruitless effort, though, since she didn't recall one word of the lesson afterwards. Lily and Taren managed to remain attentive and alert the whole time - Kylie and Kimmie had long since given up wondering how they achieved such a feat.

After lunch they had N.E.W.T Transfiguration, in which Kylie failed abysmally at turning her lizard into a parrot (mutating the poor creature into a bright green bird-like creature retaining its reptilian head and tail). Professor McGonagall ended up giving her extra homework, but her glum mood brightened somewhat when Sirius and James got even more extra work as punishment for their show-off antics, for they had purposefully multiplied their parrots several times until there was a whole flock of the squawking things flapping all over the room. Within minutes they had managed to upend tables, send papers flying, and land on Ocean's golden head to make a dreadful mess of her once perfectly styled hair – she was flapping her arms about hysterically to get them off of her and shrieking like a banshee while McGonagall angrily told the boys off and vanished all the birds in an instant. Everyone except Lily found the entire episode hilarious – even Kylie was laughing as they left at the end of class.

Overall, it was just a normal day at Hogwarts.

Hours later, after a quick dinner and managing to reduce the amount of homework she had by half, Kylie set it aside to leave for another day. Lily had dashed off for the library to get a book for her Transfiguration essay and had yet to return, Kimmie and Taren were helping Peter with his Potions essay, and Remus was playing chess with Sirius, who was seated in the armchair next to hers. She didn't know where James was, but she had a sneaking suspicion he'd wandered off to the library after a certain person. It was half past nine, and the common room was still quite full of chattering students. Occasionally a bang would go off from a game of Exploding Snap, or someone would shriek when they were squirted in the face from playing Gobstones.

Kylie yawned and paused in her writing, sucking the end of her sugar quill while contemplating what to jot down next.

"What's that you're writing?" Sirius asked in a bored tone after glimpsing for a moment at the paragraph she'd already written on her parchment.

"Letter to Romola," she mumbled distractedly.

"Who?"

"My cousin in the U.S."

"Really?" Sirius asked, suddenly sounding interested. "Is she hot?"

She gave him an exasperated look. "Do you really think I'm going to answer that?"

"You never know," he said with a grin. "Oh, by the way, James has been made Quidditch Captain. 'Case you didn't know already."

After giving him another exasperated look for not telling her sooner, she said, "Well, it was bound to be either one of you. I guess McGonagall hasn't quite forgiven you for that time you turned her hat into a parakeet."

"Wasn't that our first ever class with her?" asked Remus with a smirk.

"Yeah, it was. You know I never _meant_ to do that," Sirius informed them innocently.

"Whatever you say. Anyways, do you know when we're holding the tryouts?" Kylie asked.

"What tryouts?"

"_Team_ tryouts, Sirius. Derrick, Sam, and Christy graduated last year so we have no Keeper or Beaters, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. James mentioned that."

"_Well_?"

"_Well_ what? He hasn't decided a date yet, so chill out."

He randomly moved one his pieces on the board.

"Shouldn't we get it done so we can start _practicing_?"

"It's not like we need to. We're already better than all the other teams."

"When we're minus three crucial players?" she asked incredulously.

"James and I are all the talent Gryffindor needs," he replied confidently, grinning again at the irritation in her face. "Oh, and I suppose you are too."

"Gee, thanks for that," she uttered sarcastically, turning back to her letter.

"Your welcome."

"Checkmate," said Remus suddenly. Sirius gaped at the board.

"Oh damn," he muttered, as Remus' queen smashed his king to a pieces with its' royal scepter. "Should've seen that coming."

Just then the portrait door swung open to admit a hassled looking Lily. She beckoned imperiously to Kylie, Kimmie, and Taren as she stomped towards their dormitory spiral staircase.

"That's our cue to leave," said Kimmie with a smile.

"'Night," Kylie said to Remus and Peter, pointedly ignoring Sirius. She then swung her bag over her shoulder and followed her friends up to their rooms.

"Aww, did dear Jamesy corner you in the library, Lils?" asked Kimmie when they met up with her upstairs.

"_Yes_," she answered as she let her hair loose from its ponytail and began to roughly brush it. "To boast about his Captaincy, which seems to have given his lovely ego a fresh new boost of encouragement. And the whole time pestering me he shows off with that stupid Snitch he nicked last year. God, as if _that_ would impress me."

Kylie and Kimmie exchanged grins.

"Then of course I had to deal with a scuffle between some Gryffindor and Slytherin first years. Cheeky kids trying to have a duel in the corridors at this hour," Lily continued, shaking her head. "At least Potter proved somewhat useful at that point. All the Slytherins scampered at the sight of him before anyone managed to get hurt or get caught by Filch."

"James has quite the reputation, you know," said Kimmie. "I bet all the first years in this school have already heard complete accounts of how many times he's hexed or jinxed someone just for annoying him."

"Still, despite how big of a bully James may be, you have to take in consideration the antics of all the Slytherins," said Taren. "_They_ bully and push kids around like nobody's business."

Lily didn't answer that, instead changing the subject. "Anyone know when the first Hogsmeade weekend is?"

"Yeah, they're having it really early this year. Last weekend of September, I think," replied Kylie.

"Excellent," sighed Kimmie. "I've missed the Three Broomsticks. Plus I need a few things from Zonko's."

"Like what?" asked Lily with disapproval. "Not more Stink Pellets?"

Kimmie just shrugged and smiled cryptically.


	3. Yet Another One of James' Schemes

A/N: Thanks for those who've reviewed! Here's chapter three!

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**Chapter Three: Yet Another One of James' Schemes**

The next three weeks passed incredibly slowly, chocked full of near impossible classes and too much homework to carry in a single bag. By the last weekend of September, Kylie still had three essays to write and several spells to practice and master. Kimmie had been complaining about the workload every night, and begging Lily or Taren to let her copy their homework. The Marauders all seemed perfectly fine with the amount of work they had. In fact, James and Sirius had already spent a few nights in detention for some random misbehavior of theirs, but they still managed to complete all their homework and receive no less than a grade E or better on any of them. They really did know their magic, but Kylie knew she'd never admit that to them.

The one thing bothering her, though, was the fact that James had apparently not made any plans for the team tryouts at all. Most of the time he and the rest of the Marauders were nowhere to be found, having disappeared around the school to go cause trouble and/or mayhem somewhere. When he wasn't doing that, James was too busy entertaining most of the common room with jokes or performances with Sirius, or he was making another move on Lily (without any success).

As if proof that the stress was already getting to her, Kylie recalled one weird Friday night (back in the first week of school) when she'd been restless and wide awake. She'd been sitting by the dormitory windows and reading through her History of Magic notes by the light of the beautiful full moon outside, way past midnight, trying to make herself sleepy, when she'd chanced to look out the window to the school grounds. From where she sat curled up, falling into that half-asleep mode, she could see the Whomping Willow tree, planted her first year of school, and she noticed it's branches were swinging and swaying about quite violently. Then, abruptly, and for no apparent reason at all, it had stilled. She'd not thought much of it, except a few short minutes later she saw something that made her blink twice. Three large shapes, clearly animals of some kind, emerged from the base of the tree. One was as bright and silvery as the moon, and looked somewhat like a horse (she couldn't really tell from her height). The other two were too almost too dark to see, but they were both clearly large canines of some kind … and then she'd heard a muffled howling sound, and she could've sworn it was some sort of wolf, a very _big_ wolf.

She had stared in astonishment at the bizarre trio of creatures, wondering if she'd had accidentally drunk Firewhiskey for dinner instead of Pumpkin Juice, when they all disappeared into the Forbidden Forest. She dozed off, then, and woke up the next morning by the window, not sure if she had dreamt the whole thing or not. She promptly forgot all about it when she realized she'd slept in and had ten minutes to get to class.

By 6:00 pm on Saturday, Kylie decided she'd rather not worry about Quidditch, excessive homework, or weird midnight hallucinations/dreams. Everyone was already heading down to Hogsmeade, and she wanted to enjoy the evening without any stress to hamper her.

They visited Dervish and Banges as well as Zonko's Joke Shop, where Kimmie bought a whole bag of Stink Pellets and some Whizzing Worms, and the four of them had fun trying to pick the best sweets to buy from Honeydukes (the least fattening ones, naturally). They then headed off for the Three Broomsticks where they sat down at their favorite booth table situated in one of the cozy corners of the tavern.

The place was packed, as usual, and it was near perilous to attempt carrying drinks through the crowd, but Kylie managed it with Taren's help when they got a few tankards of butterbeer for their table. Not long after she was sitting there, sipping her drink and watching Kimmie fiddling with the Sneakoscope she'd just bought from Dervish and Banges. Trickery and dishonest stuff were clearly happening for miles around, since the instrument had gone practically haywire when they'd arrived in the tavern.

"Stupid thing, dunno why I got it," sighed Kimmie, finally managing to muffle the sneakoscope's squeaking noises into her purse.

"Hey, at least it works," said Lily with a smile.

Kylie suddenly let out a gasp. "Is that Sirius with _Paris_?" she asked, gaping in astonishment.

"No way," cried Kimmie, jumping up to see for herself. "It is! I don't believe it!"

Sirius had just walked into the bar, looking like his arrogant and haughty self, accompanied by the beautiful and dainty Paris Stone with his arm around her waist. She was a fellow sixth year, except she was in Ravenclaw. Kylie didn't know what she disliked the most about her, whether it was how she managed to be graceful and regal about everything little thing she did, or if it was because her figure made her look so delicate and feminine, whereas Kylie's tiny frame just made her feel like a kid.

"I didn't think he'd ever stoop so low as to go out with _her_," remarked Kimmie, flipping back her hair and returning to her drink.

"What exactly is the big deal about Sirius being with Paris?" asked Lily curiously. "She's just like any other girl he and Potter are into. You know, the blonde, perky ones."

"Well she's shallow, insipid, and insincere if you ask me," replied Taren distractedly, focused on her _Teen Witch_ magazine. "'Bit like Sirius, really."

"Plus she's a bitch," muttered Kylie, glaring at the backs of the couple as they sat down at the bar.

"_Kylie_!" gasped Lily.

"But that's exactly what she is," she replied coolly. "You're not in my Ancient Runes class but _she_ is. I had to be her partner for a project once and…" She shuddered at the memory. "It was probably the worst experience I've ever had – dealing with her constant nagging, whining, and her making me do all the work. The girl's bitchiness itself."

"How can Sirius stand her?" wondered Kimmie out loud, looking genuinely perturbed.

"With his usual 'dating strategy'," answered a male voice they all recognized. They all glanced up to see Remus smiling down at them. Peter was right behind him.

"Hey Remus, Peter," they all said as the two newcomers sat down at their table.

"What do you mean his 'dating strategy'?" asked Lily incredulously.

"Ah well, you know, Sirius just enjoys staring at whoever his date may be, not taking in a word she says," replied Remus. "He knows how to make her believe what she has to say is the most important thing in the world to him… thus winning them over at the end of the evening."

"And then they have a serious snogging session?" suggested Kimmie, her eyes twinkling.

"That's what he or James would hope for after a date, anyway," sighed Remus. "They'd consider their job done and move on to the next one."

"Typical men," snapped Kylie grumpily. "No offense."

"None taken," Remus said with a smile.

"When are those two ever going to even _consider_ an attempt at a real relationship?" asked Taren.

"They'll never consider anything willingly," answered Remus simply. "I suppose it'll only happen when they chance upon an… equal."

"Their equal?" Kylie giggled, looking pointedly at Lily. "You mean a girl who'll give them a run for their money?"

"Possibly," replied Remus, his gaze straying to Lily as well. She gave them both exasperated looks and rolled her eyes.

"I think James already has," said Kimmie, grinning. "Ever since you first rejected him, Lily, his poor helpless ego has been dealt a nasty blow. Maybe a fatal one."

"Yeah!" agreed Peter eagerly. "You should've seen what he was like the first time you turned him down. He couldn't believe it!"

"Serves him right," said Lily, avoiding everyone's eyes. "He hasn't changed much, if you ask me. So don't go thinking I care at _all_ about him."

"Don't care about whom, may I ask?"

All of them looked up to see James arrive, a smug sort of smile playing about his lips and his unruly hair 'windswept', as usual.

"Nobody," replied Lily casually. "You don't plan on joining us, do you? Because in case you haven't noticed, all the seats are taken. So too bad."

"Oh, no, that's okay. I wasn't going to join you anyway. I'm on a date, you know," James said cheerfully.

She froze.

Everyone's eyes darted back and forth to James and Lily as if they were watching the final match at Wimbledon.

"What do you mean you're _on a date_?" Lily asked.

"Exactly what it's supposed to mean," said James obviously. "I'm on a date tonight with –"

"_Me_," said a bubbly new voice. It belonged to a very pretty brunette who appeared out of nowhere next to James. Kylie recognized her as a fifth year in Ravenclaw, but she didn't know her name.

"Hey, Zade," James greeted in a very familiar and warm tone, as if she were a cherished girlfriend. "Everyone, this is Sheherezade Kirkwood."

"Hi," the girl said, beaming at all of them. Everyone but Lily smiled and said hi back.

"Um, James, you ready to go?" Sheherezade asked, clasping his hand and smiling dazzlingly at him.

"Sure, I just had to tell Kylie something," James replied.

"Huh?" Kylie asked, taken unawares. She had been distracted by the funny look on Lily's face. She looked torn between fuming indignation and plain bafflement, and kept opening and closing her mouth as if she wanted to say something but couldn't quite find the words.

"Quidditch tryouts are Thursday evening, 5:00," he said. "I knew you wanted to know as soon as I'd decided on it. Anyways, we don't wanna be late for our reservations at Madam Puddifoot's. See you, Moony, Wormtail." He bowed graciously to the rest of the group, before turning and leading his clinging date away and out the door, not sparing Lily one extra glance.

It was some time before anyone spoke. Peter couldn't help himself and started giggling in a muffled way (he was covering his mouth with his hands to keep from right out laughing).

"I didn't know Madam Puddifoot's took reservations…" wondered Kylie out loud. No one was listening to her, though, because all eyes were focused on Lily once more.

"_Gosh Lily_!" gasped Kimmie with feigned surprise, grinning and looking at her. "I guess that means James is…" She paused for dramatic effect. "Over you now."

"Well… good!" Lily replied, a bit too brightly. She gulped down the rest of her butterbeer and got to her feet. "I've got uh… stuff to do. I'll see you all back at the common room. Bye!"

And with that she flounced away, nearly knocking over a group of third years on her way out the door.

"What was that all about?" asked Taren, looking bewildered.

"James is trying to make Lily jealous," piped up Peter, still giggling.

"Well that's kinda obvious," said Kylie in a bored tone. "Does he really think it'll work?"

"Yes," said Remus, looking very amused. "He's been planning this one for a while."

"Does 'Zade' know he's just using her?" asked Kimmie.

"I certainly hope so," murmured Taren. "I would hate to not know I was being used in that fashion." She began putting her things away. "I've gotta run. I want to get started on Flitwick's essay."

"Oh, me too! You can help me with mine because I don't understand it at all," said Peter, hurrying to follow her.

"See you guys later," said Kylie.

A little while later, after finishing their butterbeers, the three remaining decided to leave the stifling atmosphere of the crowded tavern to get some fresh air.

They walked down the street for a while under the light of the streetlamps (it was already completely dark outside), chatting and telling jokes, and discussing what McGonagall was going to test them on their quiz the following week. Kylie had to do prefect work when several third years (coming for their first time to Hogsmeade) got into a pushing and shoving fight over some other silly thing (likely a girl).

After breaking up the fight and giving out the necessary punishments (which were just warnings, really, because no one even got hurt), Kylie rejoined Remus and Kimmie. They soon found themselves wandering by the Shrieking Shack.

"Ooh, it's the 'most haunted mansion in the country'!" gasped Kimmie sarcastically. "Man it'd be _so_ cool to go in there and see what all the fuss is about…"

"No it wouldn't," said Remus quietly, his cheery smile melting away like Stinksap.

"How come?" asked Kimmie, looking surprised.

"It's… dangerous," he insisted. "It's called 'haunted' for a reason, Kim."

"Are you kidding? How much d'you wanna bet that all those 'mysterious screams and roars' people have heard are just some of the students pulling pranks or harmless ghosts who get their kicks from scaring the villagers? I've even heard that the screams have been heard less and less often, nowadays."

"It's still not a good idea. What if whatever makes those noises _isn't_ harmless? Just think how stupid you would feel if you somehow found a way in there and ended up… getting hurt." Remus' tone and face were so serious even Kimmie's light smile vanished.

"Okay, okay, whatever you say, man," she mumbled, casting one slightly apprehensive look at the Shrieking Shack.

Wanting to change the somber mood, Kylie spoke up. "So, uh, Remus, I've been wanting to ask for a while – where were you guys a few weeks ago?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well… you were absent on that Thursday on the first week of school… and Dedalus said that James, Sirius and Peter weren't around all that night," explained Kylie. He suddenly looked very uncomfortable.

"Er, my grandfather was ill. I had to go see him," he said. She couldn't help but feel that he was hiding something.

"James, Sirius and Peter too?"

"Oh, no, I dunno about that. They must have snuck down to the kitchens to nick food. They do that a lot," he stated, shuffling his feet and looking even more uncomfortable. Concerned, she was about to ask him what he was so anxious about, when they were hailed by two newcomers.

"Moony! Kylie, Kim!" It was Sirius. Paris was clinging to his arm even more than Sheherezade had been to James.

"Hey," Remus greeted, his smile returning at last.

"What's up? Seen James anywhere?" asked Sirius, leaning against the fence, his arm entwining Paris around her waist. She moved closer to him, eyeing Kylie and Kimmie in a very condescending way.

"Last we heard he's at Madam Puddifoot's with his dear sweet 'Zade'," replied Kimmie, grinning.

"Oh really? And where's Lily?"

"She had 'stuff to do' and left in a big hurry," said Remus.

Kylie said nothing as the others talked. She didn't really feel into the conversation, especially considering that Paris kept caressing Sirius' arm and gazing up at him with disgustingly rapturous eyes as if he were some godly idol from the heavens and had made all her dreams come true. Plus she kept shooting haughty looks at Kylie, as though she were trying to gloat or something. Kylie raised a brow and smirked.

"I wish it could've been a full moon, tonight, Sirius," sighed Paris wistfully and leaning her head against him. She had just rudely butted into the conversation (Kimmie had been telling a joke about the Dark Arts fanatics). "It would have been so much more romantic, don't ya think?"

"Yeah… sure," said Sirius. He and Remus exchanged a strange look. Kylie stared at them both curiously.

"I'm kinda bored, though. Can we go for a walk, or something, together?" she asked, her tone suggestive.

"I suppose we could," replied Sirius, giving her his trademark grin. "You guys don't mind if we take off?"

"No, go right ahead," urged Kylie instantly, wanting to get away from Paris as soon as possible. "We were just heading back anyway."

As the couple left, she saw the same weird look pass between the two guys. Burning with curiosity, she had to force herself not to interrogate Remus about it as they returned to the castle. She had already upset him somehow with her questions, and didn't want to pester him further that same evening.

It still managed to plague her thoughts, though. And why had Remus acted so strangely about the Shrieking Shack and his whereabouts earlier that month? What was going on?

_God, why do I ask so many stupid questions, anyway?_ She thought to herself angrily as they arrived back in the common room and warmed their hands by the fireplace. _I need to stop being so friggin' nosy and stop fretting over the smallest thing the way I keep doing all the time._

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	4. Teen Melodrama

And here you have chapter four!

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**   
Chapter Four: Teen Melodrama**

"_Bloody Potter_," muttered Lily, scowling furiously. She nearly tore through her parchment from pressing her quill so hard to the paper.

"Hmm?" replied Kylie, casting her friend an amused look.

It was Sunday afternoon and all the prefects were in the room dubbed 'Headquarters'. It was almost October and the Head Boy and Head Girl were already assigning them with decorating tasks for Halloween. Kylie and Lily were sitting down amidst the other prefects and jotting down their own tasks to remember them (they had a lot to do this month).

"_How_ can he just… just…" stammered Lily, keeping her voice low so that only Kylie could hear, shaking her head and scowling some more.   
"Pursue a girl who's not you?" suggested Kylie knowingly.

"No! That's not it!"

"Well… then what is it, exactly?"

"Oh, you _know_!" Lily said. "He's such a jerk! All this time he keeps telling me he likes me, adores me, and I'm the only girl for him… then he goes and parades his new sweetheart around in front of me as if he never cared for me at all!"

"Surely you can't be…" Kylie grinned. "_Jealous_?"

"I am _not_ jealous," she answered quickly. "Just affronted."

"Indeed… so unbearably 'affronted' that you wish you hadn't been so quick to reject the dashing Mr. Potter?" Kylie recited. Lily glared at her.

"You're not helping, you know."

"Oh come on, Lils! Even _Peter_ can tell that James' is just trying to make you jealous," sighed Kylie. "This is just another one of his ploys to get _you_."

Lily frowned, looking somewhat skeptical. "You can't be so sure of that."

"What are you guys talking about?" asked Xiu Chen, one of the sixth year Ravenclaw prefects. She sat down next to them, followed by her fellow house prefect Florence Ashton.

"Sheherezade Kirkwood," replied Kylie simply.

"Ooh, that girl who's pretending to be James Potter's girlfriend?" asked Florence immediately.

Lily blinked at her. "_Pretending_?"

"Yeah. Sheherezade was bragging about it to us last night," said Xiu. "As if _that_'s something to be proud of."

"So it_ is_ just an act?" asked Lily slowly.

"That's what she told us," replied Florence. "God, that girl is so annoyingly perky. Like one of those Muggle 'chairleaders', or whatever they're called. Bouncing on the balls of her feet and giggling all the time."

"She seems to think that she can make James forget all about you, and fall madly in love with her," explained Xiu.

They had to stop talking for a minute as trunks full of magical Halloween decorations were floated into the room by several other prefects. The four girls chose a particularly huge trunk where they proceeded to sort through it. They had to decide which decorations to use and where to put them in the massive Hogwarts castle.

"Anyways, that girl is just full of herself, you know?" said Florence, flipping back her curly golden hair. "I mean, when _I _went out with James two years ago, it was before he went totally crazy over you, Lily. So I knew I wasn't just some tool for him to get another girl. He was into me for _me_. Zade is fooling herself if she thinks she can take his mind for one second off of you."

Lily didn't seem to know whether to be happy or displeased by this.

After a while the talk moved away from the infamous Miss Kirkwood, and Kylie could tell that Lily was now becoming very irritated with the conversation. Florence was now telling them all a full account of what a good kisser James was. The only ones who really seemed interested were the other girl prefects, Bellany Abbey and a few of the fifth years.

"It was _so_ sexy how we used to sneak off together all the time and make out in broom closets and empty classrooms," sighed Florence dramatically. "But it didn't last long. Bertha Jorkins, you remember that nosy loudmouth? Yeah, she caught James and I when we had skipped class and were kissing by the greenhouses. And she just had to tell on us and get us in detention. James got her back with a deserved dose of hexing, of course, but I had lost interest and I knew it was time to move on…"

"Don't lie, Florence," said fifth year Hufflepuff, Gwendolen Hutchinson. "We all know _he_ was the one who lost interest and decided to 'move on'."

Florence turned very pink and opened her mouth to retaliate, except Kylie didn't stick around to hear it. Lily had grabbed her arm and dragged her away.

"Couldn't stand it any longer!" she whispered, rolling her eyes. "Let's just finish organizing these stupid decorations and get out of here."

When they were finally allowed to leave, she and Lily headed out into the corridors.

"Still have that Herbology plant research to do… shall we go to the library now and get it over with?" suggested Kylie.

"Yeah, that's a good idea," agreed Lily.

"Hey, Lily!" They stopped and turned around. The Head Boy, Wesley Kent, came out of the HQ room and hurried up to them. "I gotta talk to you about something, can you come over here for a second?"

"Oh, sure, Wesley," said Lily. "I'll meet you in the library, k?"

"Alright," Kylie said, waving as she turned and left.

She had already sat down at a table in the library with all their books out when Lily finally returned.

"I'm back," she greeted, beaming cheerfully and looking happier than ever.

"What are you looking so pleased about?" Kylie asked, lowering her book on magical fungi to glance up at her.

"Oh nothing," Lily responded slyly, gracefully taking the seat across from her. "I just have a date for the next Hogsmeade weekend with one _very fine_ man."

"You're finally going out with James?" Kylie immediately blurted out, nearly jumping out of her chair with astonished glee.

"_No_," said Lily smoothly as she smiled again. "Don't be silly. Who d'you think I was just talking to?"

"You mean Wesley Kent?" The image of the tall and darkly handsome Captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team came into mind. "_He_ asked you out?"

"Well… yeah," replied Lily as though it were obvious. She giggled at the blank look on Kylie's face. "What's wrong? You told me to do this, remember?"

"You mean I told you to… beat James at his own game by getting a pretend boyfriend?" Kylie asked blankly.

"No… well, yeah, sort of… I meant when you said I should I get a 'big, tough boyfriend' to discourage James from coming on to me."

"Oh yeah… I _did_ say that."

"_Well_? What do you think?" Lily asked expectantly. "Do you think I'm on the right track, here?"

"I dunno, Lils… Wesley's a really nice guy… a smart one, too. He'd know it if you were just leading him on," began Kylie awkwardly. "He's so sincere and such a gentleman, the total opposite of James Potter. What if he gets hurt from this?"

"It's not like I don't like him, though, Kylie," Lily said thoughtfully. "I actually do feel… attracted to him, in a way."

"What if you're only 'attracted' to the idea of making James jealous?"

"I'm not trying to make James jealous!" insisted Lily stubbornly. Her face was flushed as she stood to her feet and glared at her, looking upset again. "Who are you to say if I like Wesley or not? You make it seem like I'm some kind of conniving little minx who doesn't care at all about how someone else feels. I wouldn't purposefully do anything to hurt anyone! And this was your idea in the first place and you're criticizing me for going through with it!"

"Lils, I didn't mean _that_-"

"Forget it, _Kylie_. I'm just gonna go. See you around," muttered Lily. She stalked off, leaving a stunned Kylie in her wake.

Kylie sat there gaping for a moment, before she sank into her chair and sighed, rubbing her temple. _I need to know when to shut up… why do I keep pissing off all my friends? Or better yet, since when has Lily been so damned moody?_

"Aw, looks like someone needs a hug," cooed a familiar voice. Kylie started, and glanced up to see that Sirius had just walked up to her. He was grinning as he casually tossed his books onto the table and sat down in Lily's old chair.

"Sirius. I almost didn't recognize you without Paris glued to your hip," she greeted grumpily.

"Oh no, Paris and I are through. She got a bit clingy, if you know what I mean," he responded cheerily, cocking his head to one side so that his hair fell across his eyes. He looked even more handsome than usual today.

"Gee, that's too bad. I almost thought you'd finally have a relationship that last longer than 24 hours," she uttered.

"Hey, I've been in long term relationships before, Kylie," Sirius said in a mock-offended tone.

"Ha, name one."

"Fredrica Belrose. Two years ago," he said simply, leaning back in his chair.

"You dated her for what? Three weeks? You call that _long term_?"

"I'm a fickle guy. So what?" He stated this as if _she_ was the one being uncouth.

Kylie smiled, shaking her head. She remembered what Taren had said yesterday. "Sirius, are you ever going to have a _real_ romantic relationship with someone? Not just some random fling to appease your testosterone?"

"You're being very straightforward today," answered Sirius with a laugh. He was wearing his trademark grin again as he looked at her. "Did you have someone in mind?"

"No… I was just being… rhetoric, I guess. I wasn't thinking of any particular person," she replied casually.

"_You_, perhaps?" he asked playfully, leaning forward onto the table.

"What?" She began blushing in spite of herself. "N-no! Not at all!"

"Why so defensive, Kylie?" he asked, grinning mischievously. Clearly he was enjoying this.

She narrowed her eyes at him, trying to ignore how warm her face was. She focused on sounding cool and collected. "You know perfectly well I wasn't referring to myself! Don't be ridiculous."

"Is it really so 'ridiculous', as you say? _You're_ the one who was so interested in my love life. Plus I _am_ hot stuff, so who could resist me?"

"I'm… I'm just not going to dignify that with a response," she said, wondering to God why she felt so embarrassed. She snatched up her textbook and buried her nose into it.

"But you just responded."

Her grip on the book tightened, but her lips remained firmly shut. He laughed and picked up his own book and started reading.

"Don't you have somewhere to be? Where's James?" she finally blurted out after several more awkward minutes.

"With Sheherezade, I assume," he replied, copying down some notes onto his parchment.

"Why don't you go find him and cause trouble somewhere? That's what you do, isn't it?"

"We've already done enough of that for today. We're waiting to see the fruition of our labors," he said mysteriously.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh… we just slipped a niffler or two into the Slytherin common room when no one was home," he answered, looking very pleased with himself. "It'll teach those Lestranges and Snivellus not to try poisoning our breakfast."

"They tried to _poison you_?"

"They certainly put _something_ funky in our toast," he said with a shrug. "James saw them drop vials of… stuff on our food in the kitchens."

"If it's real poison you're supposed to report it, Sirius," she stated with a sigh. "Not do some stupid prank in retaliation."

He just grinned again. "Ah well. It's too late now."

"How did you get into their common room in the first place?" she asked. "You're not even supposed to know where it is."

"That, little Miss Prefect, is classified."

"And where do you get all this _classified intelligence_?"

"That would also be classified."

She smirked. "Figures."

"Indeed. By the way, what was Lily in such a temper about when I saw her in the hall a second ago?"

"Oh, she's kinda mad at me. Apparently I accused of her being thoughtless and uncaring," Kylie replied sourly.

"She has to take out her frustrations on someone, you know," said Sirius, as though he were the expert on the matter. "And who better than her best friend?"

"How helpful. Thank you, Sirius," she said sarcastically.

"Don't mention it," he answered with another devilish grin, standing up to go get another book off the shelves. "And don't worry about it, Kylie. She'll come around and apologize before the day is through. She can never stay mad at anyone for too long."

"Thanks," she said again, this time sincerely. Except he didn't hear her, having already left the table.

* * *

Around 9:30 that Thursday evening, Kimmie, Taren and Lily were sitting in their dormitory, finishing their last few bits of homework before going to bed. From outside they heard the sound of someone storming up the staircases. A second later the door swung open to reveal Kylie, her hair damp from showering and looking to be in a very foul mood. She practically slammed the door behind her, threw her broomstick into her trunk and then fell onto her bed with a huge sigh of discontent. 

For a second the three other girls stared at her, slightly bewildered, before Lily spoke up.

"I take it Quidditch tryouts didn't go so well?" she asked (she had apologized the day before so they were back on happy normal terms again).

"Sirius Black is such an _ass_!" she cried out suddenly.

"I see…" said Kimmie quietly, careful to keep the amusement out of her voice.

Kylie sat up with a groan. "Seriously! How can one single person be so cold and uncaring?"

"What exactly happened at the tryouts?" asked Taren, coming over to sit next to her.

"They started off fine. It was very organized and James was doing a good job as Captain and everything," she began. "We managed to easily pick two really good fourth years as our new Beaters, Miguel Vera and Ricky Pereira. Then the Keeper tryouts started and they went badly. And by that I mean _really bad_. Hardly any of them knew what they were doing by those goal posts, and of course several of them were a couple younger girls trying to impress James and Sirius, failing abysmally of course. It was narrowed down to two choices in the end: second year Winonell Berry and seventh year Billy Fencer-"

"Ooh, I dated him last year!" cried Kimmie suddenly. "Really bad kisser, though. I don't recommend him."

"Thanks, Kim. That's very helpful," replied Taren sarcastically.

"Anyways," Kylie began again, speaking rather quickly as she stood and started pacing the room. "I _knew_ Winonell was a talented player. I'd caught a few glimpses of her before the tryouts began when she was warming up with the practice Quaffles. And she was pretty good, especially considering she's so young and so tiny. But when her turn came up she froze and got nervous and didn't do as well as I know she could have. Billy Fencer did _so-so_. He was totally clumsy and out of control up there. Most of his saves were obviously by pure luck and he really didn't have a lot of actual _talent_.

Later when we were deciding whom to pick, I pointed this out and said James should appoint Berry. I mean, she's definitely really skilled, but apparently Sirius, the _superstar_ Quidditch player, can't see that! The _whole_ time we were out there he acts like he doesn't care either way who we pick, just drifting around and saying how bored he is and how he just wants to 'get this stupid thing over with'. Then he argues with me saying Fencer would be the better choice because Berry's too young and has no confidence. So I said the confidence issue is something we could totally fix. And then he has the gall to say '_oh you just don't want to be the only girl on the team, Kylie!_' He tells James to just '_appoint Fencer so we can all leave_'. So of course, this upsets me and I stress to James that I would be willing to work with Berry to help her conquer her nerves, etcetera, etcetera. And _then_ you know what Sirius said?"

Everyone else, who had been listening quite intently to make sure they didn't miss anything out of the entire hasty, flustered speech, shrugged.

"He told me that I could never expect to achieve anything with Berry because 'only a _decent_ player who actually knew _anything_ about Quidditch could do that'! He _said that_ straight to my face without even the slightest hesitation or even resentment afterwards, completely nonchalant and not caring_ at all_ how something like that would hurt me!"

There was silence in the room for a brief moment.

"Dear, dear, "muttered Kimmie, shaking her head.

"Oh, don't let this get to you, Kylie. I'm sure Sirius didn't mean it that way," said Lily reassuringly.

"What else could he have possibly meant?"

"Well, he was tired and bored, wasn't he? You said so yourself he wanted to get out of there quickly. Maybe he forgot himself for a second and said something hurtful like that without realizing it," explained Taren, looking anxious.

"Sirius Black doesn't ever 'forget himself', Taren. He's the kind of guy who always knows exactly what he wants and what he's doing, despite how his actions or behavior might suggest otherwise," said Kimmie, sounding analytical again.

"Are you certain you're speaking of the same person, here, Kim?" asked Kylie, looking perturbed.

"_Yes_, I am," insisted Kimmie. "I think he always says what he means to say… but doesn't really mean what he says. You know?"

"Uh… sure," replied Kylie hesitantly.

"Look, he was probably only kidding, Kylie," said Lily. "He knows you're a good player. You've been on the team since third year and have helped them secure the trophy all this time. This is just another case of a Marauders' stupid joke going too far. Don't take it too seriously."

"It didn't… sound… like he was kidding," mumbled Kylie.

"What did James decide, anyway?" asked Taren.

"I don't know. I left quickly right after that slight," she answered quietly. She sat down on her bed again, grabbing her sweater off her trunk and pulling it on. "He probably agrees with Sirius."

"If so that's a shame. Sounds like that Berry kid at least deserves a chance," noted Lily.

"Ugh! Boys can be such _cads_!" exclaimed Kimmie so suddenly that everyone jumped. "They haven't got a clue!"

"Gee, Kim, if you feel that way then why do you have so many boyfriends?" asked Taren curiously.

Kimmie gave her a skeptical look. "Because boys are so cute! Why else?"

The three of them laughed, while Kylie merely smiled, leaning against the bedpost silently, immersed in her thoughts.

* * *

Dear Diary, 

I'm beginning to feel that James and Sirius (well, mostly Sirius) get away with stuff way to easily. Despite how often their pranks and jokes and overall attitudes have often hurt other people, whether physically or emotionally, they've never had to pay for anything! Ever! The teachers can never seem to discipline them because the dread of detention or deduction of house points is something they seem to be immune to. And Kimmie's absolutely right. They don't care at all about anyone else's feelings or the consequences of their reckless actions. Everything's just a game to them - a game in which they constantly break the rules and never take seriously.

Oh God, maybe I'm being way too uptight… It _is_ true that a lot of their antics are harmless. I've even found them funny at times.

Ugh, why am I writing about this? I really should just get some sleep and quit wasting my time and ink over those two. _Especially_ Sirius.

_Kylie_

* * *


	5. The Map

Many thanks to reviewers! I think it should be policy that if you read at least _one_ chapter of any story posted, you _should_ review it... even if you hated it! Just no matter what you personally think of the fic, be polite and mature. I try to review just about everything I read on this site (sometimes it may slip my mind), but I still try! I'm sure all the writers appreciate it, to.

To **izzy**: I'd luv to exchange e-mails about the fic, if you want to. It'll be fun cuz once I start talking about HP it's difficult to stop, lol... (Check out of my profile page for my e-mail address b/c I tried typing it here but when I uploaded this chapter it didn't show up... so I guess I can't do that... grr...;;)

Enjoy chapter 5!

* * *

**Chapter Five: The Map**

The following day between classes the girls headed through the halls on their way to their History of Magic morning class, continuing a lively chat that had begun at breakfast.

"Hey Kylie!" called the voice of Toby Randall, one of the other Gryffindor boys of their year and also Chaser on the house team.

"Hi Toby," Kylie replied with a smile as he approached. "What's wrong?"

"You're not quitting the team, are you?" he asked quickly, his face anxious.

"Um... no. What makes you think I would want to quit playing Quidditch?" she asked curiously.

"Well, I know Sirius really pissed you off yesterday and you just stormed off without a word. James was concerned because he didn't want the team to lose one of the best Seekers in the school," explained Toby, now much more relieved.

"Well, I don't know if I'm one of 'the best Seekers' but I _do_ know I'm not planning to quit anytime soon," she said with a smile. "By the way who did James appoint as Keeper?"

"Billy Fencer."

"Figures," she sighed.

"Oh and he made that young Berry kid the reserve," added Toby.

"What? Really? Oh my god that's great!" she cried happily. He nodded.

"Well I've got to get to Arithmancy. See you," he said, turning away.

"Okay, thanks Toby," she called as he left. She hurried after Lily, Kimmie, and Taren who were just entering the History of Magic classroom ahead.

They chose their seats in one corner of the classroom.

"Guess what?" Kylie said in a low tone so as not to disturb Professor Binns as he started the class (not that he would have even noticed, anyway).

"What?" asked Taren.

"James made Winonell Berry the reserve keeper," she whispered happily. "I never expected him to do that."

"Quite unexpected," commented Kimmie as she pulled out her sugar quill to suck on. "You know, maybe this is the better arrangement. After all, you get a lot of time to train the kid for when the season starts. Then... when Billy royally screws up and proves you were right all along, Berry can play and everything will be cool."

"Yup," Kylie said with a contented smile, leaning back in her chair as she shuffled through her notes.

"I think this is very typical of James," whispered Lily with a frown. "He's just trying to get on your good side cuz' you happen to be my friend."

Taren and Kimmie giggled. "You know, Lils, as shocking as this may sound, I don't think _everything_ James does has something to do with you," said Taren.

Lily made a low tsk noise and leaned forward to listen better as the professor began a particularly dull note-taking lesson on a giant rebellion. Taren smiled at Kylie and Kimmie before doing the same.

Kylie's gaze strayed to the other side of the classroom where the Marauders all sat together. A few moments later she noticed that Sirius had just enchanted a handful of some powdery substance to float discreetly through the air and slip down the shirt cuff of Snape, sitting in the very front row. It was clear the powder caused the victim to suffer extreme itching because Snape ended up scratching at his neck and shoulders incessantly the entire class, while the Marauders all sniggered uncontrollably quietly in the back (Remus shaking his head with resignation, although he did look somewhat amused as well).

At the end of class Kylie shook Kimmie awake, since she had slept through the lesson (again), and gathered up her things. As she walked up to the room doors behind the rest of the class, she spotted something lying on Peter's desk – a rolled up, yellowy piece of parchment. She picked it up as she passed the desk and hurried up to Kimmie outside in the hallway.

"Hey, do you know which way Peter went? He forgot this on his desk," she said.

Kimmie scanned the crowds milling through the halls and shook her head. "He left to a different class already. I don't see him anywhere. Just keep it with you until he shows up again."

Kylie nodded and slipped the parchment into her bag.

* * *

A few hours later, after the rest of the days classes were over, the girls arrived at the library, deciding to get started on the massive research essay that Professor Hooke had assigned them that day. As Taren and Lily got up to find some good books off the shelves, Kimmie and Kylie sat down at the table they'd chosen by one of the library windows. 

"God, I can't believe he gave us so much crap to write about! How are we supposed to find and record the history, ingredients, creators, and purposes of these over one hundred potions by next class?" asked Kimmie angrily. "I betcha he'll give all good marks to the Slytherins and fail everyone else because there's _no _way I'm ever going to complete this successfully."

"Don't worry, Lils, Taren and I will help you out. We'll just all divide the workload so we're not all researching forever. Then we'll just copy each other's work till we've got everything, k?" said Kylie cheerfully. "It'll be simple."

"Whatever you say," sighed Kimmie.

"Oh crap!" gasped Kylie suddenly.

"What is it?"

Kylie picked up the rolled up parchment that had just fallen out of her bag. "I forgot to give this to Peter during lunch!"

"Oh well," muttered Kimmie with a shrug. "What is it, anyway? Something he'll be missing right about now?"

"I dunno... But I don't want to go snooping around his stuff..."

Kimmie smirked. "It's no biggie! Anyhow, I'm curious. What use could Peter possibly have for that thing? It looks like it's a thousand years old."

Kylie looked over the parchment in her hands. It _was_ really old looking... ancient, even. There was no way this could be regular writing parchment.

"Oh fine, I'll see what it is," she said quietly, feeling quite curious herself. She carefully began unrolling it, not wanting to tear the frail looking paper. As she did so another, much smaller and newer looking, piece of parchment fell out from inside onto the table. Kimmie picked it up and glanced over it.

"Hmm, this is Peter's handwriting," she said. "Kinda hard to read... okay... It says 'Directions to map incase I forget: One, tap map with wand, and two, say I solemnly swear that I am up to no good. Then when finished, tap map with wand and say mischief managed. Outings every full moon. Don't forget! –Wormtail'"

Kylie raised a brow. "Map? The parchment's totally blank... Is this some sort of charmed toy thing?"

"Let's find out, shall we?" suggested Kimmie interestedly. "Do as the 'directions' say."

Kylie hesitated. "I feel kinda bad for doing this, Kim. This is Peter's private property and we're messing around with it."

"Oh come on! He won't find out. Just try it and see what happens," urged Kimmie with a laugh.

Kylie swallowed and lightly tapped the blank old parchment with her wand, saying softly, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good..."

Thin ink lines suddenly began spreading across the parchment, and before they knew it a map had appeared on the paper, and elegant words blossomed across the top, reading: _Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs, Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present: THE MARAUDER'S MAP_

The two girls stared in amazement at what was clearly an extremely detailed map of the Hogwarts castle and grounds, showing secret passages and everything. There were even tiny ink dots moving around all over the place, all labeled with a name of someone in the school, whether it were a teacher, students, or animals, or even ghosts. Kylie could feel the stunned excitement building up inside her as she stared at the remarkable parchment in her hand.

"Jackpot..." whispered Kimmie. Then before Kylie could do anything, Kimmie jumped up from her seat, grabbed her wrist, and dragged her over behind a set of bookshelves.

"Do you realize what this _is_?" she asked, whispering hastily.

"It's... it's a map the guys made of Hogwarts..." murmured Kylie slowly.

"_It _is the secret to their success! Their trump card! Their secret weapon!"

"It's incredible," said Kylie, feeling somewhat dazed. "How did they do it...?"

Kimmie shrugged. "They've always been really smart. They just figured it out somehow."

Kylie moved to leave. "We have to show this to Lils and Taren!" she said.

"No way! We can't tell them!" gasped Kimmie suddenly, quickly dragging Kylie back behind the shelf.

"Why not?" asked Kylie perplexedly. "We can trust them!"

"We can _trust them_ to hand this over immediately to McGonagall," said Kimmie in low tones. "Lily and Taren mean well, of course, and it would be the right thing to do... But we can't just give up this opportunity so lightly."

"Opportunity? What are you talking about?"

Kimmie grinned. "Don't you see? This is like the perfect chance to finally get those guys back after all these years! To give them a dose of their own medicine..."

"And teach them a lesson or two they'll never forget..." continued Kylie, ideas filling her mind. She grinned as well, feeling positively wicked. "It has possibilities, Kimmie."

"Well duh," replied the brunette with a grin. "And it'd be hilarious!"

"So what do you think we should do?" asked Kylie. "And let's keep Remus and Peter out of this, if we can, cuz they don't deserve it."

"Of course. But we can't decide now, Lily and Taren are coming back," said Kimmie, peering through the shelves. She tapped the map with her wand, whispering, "Mischief managed". Instantly the map and words vanished off the parchment, leaving it as blank as if nothing had ever been written on it before. "Okay, hide the map for now and we'll figure something out later."

They hurried back to the table, Kylie hastily rolling up the parchment and slipping it back into her bag just as Lily and Taren arrived, carrying piles of huge reference books.

"We found plenty!" stated Lily, beaming. "We'll have no lack of material to research from."

"Oh goodie," sighed Kimmie sarcastically.

Kylie winced inwardly. She'd never kept such a big secret from her closest friends before, and it didn't feel right. But this _was_ a golden opportunity. She'd be stupid to give it up so quickly, right? It wouldn't hurt to keep quiet about this to Lily and Taren.

* * *

That evening the girls sat around a small table in the crowded, cozy common room, finishing up as much research as they could so they'd have more free time during the weekend. Even though there were several groups of younger students chattering and laughing throughout the common room, it seemed much more quiet than it usually would be on a Friday night. 

"It's so beautiful out tonight," sighed Lily as she gazed out the window. "Full moon and everything. You can practically see the whole grounds clearly."

Taren yawned and stretched back in her armchair. She glimpsed her watch and gasped. "Oh my god it's already two in the morning!"

"No wonder I'm so exhausted..." Kimmie said sleepily. "That's more than enough work in one day. I'm going to bed."

"Shall we call it a night, too?" asked Lily.

"Good idea," agreed Taren, yawning again. They gathered their things and went up to the dormitory, where they found Opal, Mallory, and Ocean asleep already. Pretty soon everyone was asleep with their bed drapes closed, except for Kylie. Something had been nagging at her thoughts the second she'd lain down, as if there was something important she'd forgotten about. The fact that she didn't know what she had forgotten annoyed her, and she ended up laying there tossing and turning, wide-awake and trying to remember exactly what was bothering her.

_It's something to do with the map... Kimmie and I were too busy working to talk about it again since the library and she was too tired to remember it before she went to bed... We'll have to contrive our 'revenge plan' tomorrow because we can't keep it too long. Even someone as forgetful as Peter is bound to realize it's gone. The others may even ask him where it is... I wonder why they weren't in the common room this evening because they're usually there on Friday nights..._

And then it hit her.

She quietly got out of the bed, put on her glasses and grabbed her bag, searching the pockets until she found the small, scribbled note Peter had written. When she read it over again she nearly gasped out loud. 'Outings every full moon.' _Tonight's a full moon! They go somewhere tonight! That's why they weren't there!_

She pulled on her fluffy white bathrobe, retrieved the map from her bag and carefully tiptoed over to the door so as not to wake anyone, slipped out onto the wide stone spiral staircase and closed the door behind her. One glance over the balustrades told her there was no one in the common room. The only sign of life was the dying fireplace that still managed to cast a faint rosy hue around the room.

She went down the stairs and sat down by the fire, tapping the map with her wand and whispering the required 'password'. She gulped, knowing very well that this could be a dumb idea. _Every_ student in the school knew it was extremely unwise to mess with the Marauders, but at the moment she couldn't help it. She was already burning with curiosity to know what they could be up to. Besides, she wasn't scared of them! And she was doing this with only the best of intentions. Whatever the guys were up to couldn't be good, and the sooner their 'mischief making' was stopped, the better for everyone else, right? She began scanning the map.

Sure enough, none of the Marauders were in their dormitory. In fact, none of them were anywhere on the map. No matter how hard she looked, she couldn't find them. She knew that they hadn't made sure the map didn't show them on it because she'd seen their dots before when she and Kimmie first saw the map in the library. The only conclusion she could come to was that wherever the guys had gone... it was _not_ on the school grounds.

She leaned back in her chair, amazed. _The guys aren't _that_ stupid, are they? Running around at nearly four in the morning off of school grounds? If they're caught they could get into all sorts of trouble! Months in detention! Banned against playing Quidditch! Expulsion! Recklessly risking their futures just for the sake of some stupid escapade! An escapade they go on every full moon! What are they _thinking_? Or better yet, what is Remus, the prefect, thinking? He has way more sense than to allow this! Doesn't he?_

Just then something on the map caught her attention. Four dots had just appeared on the edge of the map where the Forbidden Forest was. And it was _them_.

Before she knew it she had leapt to her feet and hurried over to the window, glancing anxiously out to the grounds where the edge of the forest lay and trying to spot them. When she finally did... she had to blink twice. Again.

For instead of seeing the guys appearing by the forest, she saw once more that strange group of creatures she'd seen in her dream... if before that had even been a dream at all...

She looked outside, to the map, outside, and to the map again, more puzzled than ever. Was the map malfunctioning? Was it some kind of trick? It clearly showed that the four guys were now running at high speeds across the lawns in the direction of the Whomping Willow, but outside she could only see those three animals running alongside each other for the same place. What was going on?

She watched the creatures arriving at the tree, which started thrashing about wildly as it always did when something came too close to it. Then, as had happened before, it suddenly stilled. Then the animals appeared to crawl into the roots of the tree and disappear from sight. Kylie looked at the map and saw that there was actually a secret passageway located under the Whomping Willow, and that the four guys were inside of it, moving along until they vanished off the edge of the map, once more off of school grounds.

Kylie shook her head. "This is so weird..." she muttered to herself. _What was up with those animals? Why would the map say they were there when there are actually just three strange animals there instead? Is it some sort of illusion?_

Before she could think on it some more, the map revealed that the guys were coming back along the passageway, Peter in front, followed by James and Sirius. Remus wasn't there. Kylie looked outside again, saw the tree stop thrashing again, and then saw what was obviously Peter come climbing out of the roots, followed by James and Sirius. No animals this time, at least.

She saw the three of them standing just out of reach of the tree's branches, which had started flailing about again. James pulled out what was clearly a large cape or cloak, throw it over each other's heads. A second later they had all disappeared from sight.

"No way..." she muttered incredulously. _That can't be an invisibility cloak! No one has those! They're like, the rarest enchanted items in the world! Where did they get one of those?_

She looked at the map and saw that the three guys, no sign of Remus, were now heading back up another secret passage that led directly back inside the castle. They were coming back to Gryffindor tower.

The grandfather clock on the other side of the common room showed it was a little past four o'clock. It would be dawn very soon. She sat for a moment, wondering what to do. Should she confront them now? If so how was she supposed to go about doing that? It would be next to impossible to intimidate James and Sirius. Especially since she was alone and nearly a head shorter than them. Should she wait and tell Kimmie first? She sighed, rubbing her temple in annoyance. _This is way harder than I thought it would be!_

Just then she heard the portrait door swing open and then close a moment later. Then James, Sirius and Peter appeared as if out of thin air in the common room, looking a little breathless but still excited, as if they'd just played a victorious game of Quidditch. They didn't seem to notice Kylie standing in the shadows near the window.

"Oh man," laughed James, grinning. "I never knew getting chased by mutant spiders would be so great!"

"You said it," agreed Sirius. "We should check that den out again next month."

"I don't think we should," gasped Peter, who looked very shaken and out of breath. "What if they catch us and eat us?"

"Nah, they won't. Besides, with Moony helping us we could take them easily," said Sirius with a laugh.

"I'm beat," said James, who was now folding up what Kylie knew now to be his invisibility cloak. "Let's get some sleep. Then we'll go see how Moony's doing."

Kylie, who had been debating what to do in her head, suddenly made up her mind. She stepped determinedly out of the shadows.

"Good morning," she stated firmly, folding her arms and fixing them with what she hoped was an intimidating stare.

They froze, staring at her with mingled looks of surprise and shock. Peter looked petrified.

"Kylie! You're up early!" said James suddenly, looking for all the world as if he'd just woken up and come down from the boy's dormitories and not been caught red-handed.

She smiled sweetly. "Oh don't play dumb with me. I know what's going on."

"Yeah, but we don't know what you're talking about," answered James innocently. "We haven't done anything wrong."

"You've been sneaking off of the school grounds every full moon for quite a long time now," she said. "I _saw_ you."

"You can't prove anything," said Sirius, looking almost amused and more than a little confident.

"I don't know about that," she replied just as confidently, grabbing the map which was sitting on the windowsill and holding it up for them to see. "Look familiar to you?"

They appeared to be speechless with shock.

"I know _everything_," she stated calmly.

"Please don't tell anyone we're Animagi!" burst out Peter suddenly, looking like he might burst into tears any minute. James and Sirius both cringed.

She stared at him, surprised. "Animagi...?" she repeated. Comprehension dawned on her as she put two and two together. "Oh my god... that _was_ you out there! You're..." She felt a fresh wave of shock washing over her. "You're Animagi!"

"Wormtail, I cannot _believe_ you just said that," sighed James, closing his eyes as if in deep mental anguish.

Peter suddenly seemed to realize his huge error and looked horrified. Sirius was staring at Kylie with narrowed eyes, his face unreadable in the dark.

"How could you possibly become Animagi? And Remus too? Where is he, anyway?" she asked, feeling overwhelmed with this enormous revelation.

Peter gasped. "You mean you don't know he's a were-" Before he could finish his sentence, James cut him off.

"Wormtail, just keep quiet from now on, please?" he said urgently. Peter nodded nervously.

"Why? What's going on with Remus?" asked Kylie curiously, forgetting to bluff that she knew 'everything' already. _What was Peter about to say that began with 'were'?_ she asked herself, thinking quickly.

"He's sick. But he'll be fine," replied James quickly.

"If he was sick he would have been in the hospital wing. Not cavorting around in the Forbidden Forest," she said, still thinking. _The only thing I can think of that begins with 'were' is 'werewolf' but that can't be it... wait..._

"Oh my god..." she murmured, an aching, hollow feeling filling her. "He's a... a werewolf..."

"Now what makes you think that?" asked James, laughing nervously as though it were a joke. "You're overreacting."

"You only go out every full moon... and that huge wolf animal I saw... that was him... and you guys..." she looked up at the three of them, aghast. "You run around with a _werewolf_ every month? Just for fun? Are you absolutely _insane?_"

"Please don't tell on us!" squeaked Peter.

James sighed. "I guess we should feel lucky you're not Snape right now," he said with a chuckle.

"Right," said Sirius. "So what do you want?"

"What do you mean?" she inquired, puzzled.

"What do you want in exchange for keeping quiet about this?" he replied calmly.

She stared at him for a moment, unsure of what to say. "I... I'm not even sure I want anything at all... I _should_ tell on you. But I'm... I'm just going to sleep on it for now. Good night," she said whirling around and hurrying up the girl's staircase without looking back.

"Wow," said James slowly. "We're busted. We _never_ get busted. How could we have been so careless?"

"How did she figure out how to activate the map?" asked Sirius, picking up the map Kylie had left behind on a chair and wiping it clean with a tap of his wand and the incantation.

James shrugged, shaking his head. "She's either much more clever than we thought, or she's extremely lucky and just guessed it."

Peter swallowed and spoke up in a squeaky voice. "I... I kind of... wrote instructions on a note... because I always forget, you know."

James laughed bitterly. "You're killing the Marauders, Wormtail. _Crushing_ us."

"Sorry," replied Peter, staring at his feet. "I didn't mean to."

"This sucks," muttered Sirius a little while later. "She's going to tell on us and ruin everything. There's no way a squeaky-clean prefect like her is going to let this slide."

"Well, Moony's a prefect too, in case you've forgotten," said James. "You know I always expected us to have this kind of problem with Snape or some other lousy Slytherin. Not from a fellow Gryffindor. Hell, I thought she was our friend!"

"She's Moony and Wormtail's friend only, Prongs. She's particularly pissed at me, I think," said Sirius.

"Oh yeah. The tryouts," groaned James. "You know... dissing her Seeking skills like that wasn't exactly the smoothest thing to do, Padfoot. You probably should've listened to Toby when he suggested you apologize."

"But I was kidding when I said that! I didn't expect her to blow up with feminine righteous wrath and plot crazy vengeance on me!"

"Well, scorned girls can get a bit... crazy, I guess," James said. He stretched and yawned. "I'm going to bed. When we see Remus later he'll know what to do... hopefully. If it's not too late by then."

Sirius merely nodded with a grumpy sigh.

* * *


	6. Lessons, Lessons and More Lessons

To **Jennycake**: Eek, did I really make James and Sirius too mean? ;; I just remembered how Sirius talked about his school days to Harry in OotP – he talked about how he and James were both "arrogant little berks" back then and how he wasn't proud of some of the things he said/did as a reckless teen… So I didn't wanna make them too _nice_ either. I'll try and make them not so mean, though ;-).

Enjoy chapter six!

* * *

**Chapter Six: Lessons, Lessons, and More Lessons**

"That is wicked!" cried Kimmie. She and Kylie were sitting across from each other in their dormitory the next morning. Everyone else had just left for breakfast but they had stayed behind to discuss everything without being overheard.

Kylie had just finished describing everything that had happened the night before. Well, actually not everything. She mentioned nothing about Remus being a werewolf, making it _seem_ as though the four marauders were each Animagi instead. Kylie wasn't sure why, but for some reason she felt it unwise and unfair to so casually reveal Remus' dark secret.

"How the hell did they figure out how to become Animagi? That's freakin' awesome!"

"And it's also 'freakin' illegal and insanely dangerous! Everyone knows the transformation can go horribly wrong," replied Kylie.

"Well, that is true," said Kimmie. "But you have to admit it's pretty damn cool!"

"Whatever, I just need to know what to do. Should I tell McGonagall? I really think they need to stop these monthly 'outings' because it's so incredibly risky! They don't seem to realize this at all…"

"You're worried they'll get expelled? Kylie I thought you _wanted_ to get back at them."

"Not at Remus and Peter! And I don't want _anyone_ to get expelled! I'm not _that_ mean! Oh god, was I being mean?"

"Not _really_, no," replied Kimmie. "But you know, telling on them is a _sure_ way to get them expelled."

"You're right…" murmured Kylie.

"Why don't you just tell them you'll agree to keep your mouth shut _only_ if they stop these adventure thingies?" suggested Kimmie.

"I don't know… I guess that might work…"

"Or better yet, blackmail them!" cried Kimmie.

"What?"

"You know! Make them do whatever you say for a week or make them do all your homework or something like that."

"I don't really want any of those things… they're kinda dumb…" muttered Kylie unsurely.

Kimmie laughed. "Course they are. But you know, just agreeing to 'be silent' is so boring! You should get something out of this the way the original plan was. Even though you did 'give them a taste of their own medicine'… sorta…"

"You should've seen the look on their faces," Kylie said, giggling. "I never expected to see Sirius or James caught off guard like that. They always seem so confident and prepared for anything."

"I wish you'd woken me up!" sighed Kimmie longingly. "That's something I would have paid to see!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize something that big would happen so I didn't think to wake you," Kylie said apologetically.

"That's okay. Anyways I'm starving! It's almost lunchtime and we haven't even had breakfast yet!" cried Kimmie, jumping to her feet.

"That's what happens when you stay up nearly all night and sleep in forever," sighed Kylie.

As they made their way down to the Great Hall, Kylie realized she still didn't know quite what to do.

* * *

Later that day while Kylie, Kimmie, Lily and Taren went outside to the lake to throw bread crumbs to the giant squid, they were invited by several other classmates to join them in a strange game called 'volleyball' that had been set up nearby, which according to Lily was a simple but enjoyable game played by Muggles. Lily, Kimmie and Taren had agreed and hurried over to join them, while Kylie had decided not to, preferring instead to take a stroll around the lake to clear her head after one grueling week. 

It was fall already, and so all the trees' leaves were turning beautiful shades of red and gold and several were already littering the ground she walked. She'd always liked autumn.

As she walked down a slight slope she arrived at a shaded area at the edge of the lake, made somewhat private by the trees and bushes surrounding it. It was one her favorite hang out spots with the others.

"Kylie!" called a familiar voice.

Surprised, she turned around to see Sirius running up to her. "We need to talk," he said, looking uncharacteristically serious.

She nodded and folded her arms, not sure what to expect.

He sighed. "Alright so I admit you caught us. But before you go making any rash decisions, I think you should know the whole story. Yes, Remus is a werewolf. He's been one since he was a kid, and was almost unable to come to Hogwarts because of it. But Dumbledore worked everything out for him so that he could. Arrangements were made for him, such as the Shrieking Shack and the tunnel leading out of it being built especially for his use. Madam Pomfrey would escort him every full moon to the Shack where he could transform and be separated from humans. The Whomping Willow was planted over the tunnel entrance to make sure no one could accidentally discover the passage while Remus was dangerous. The only way to get by safely is to prod one of the knots to temporarily freeze the tree.

Since Remus was separated from humans, the transformations were extremely painful for him. He had to bite and scratch himself instead, and the noise and screams he made are what started the haunted rumors in the Shack at Hogsmeade. James, Peter and I found out the truth about why Remus disappeared once a month and we wanted to find a way to help him bear the transformations, or at least keep him company through every ordeal. We realized the only way we could do this was to become Animagi because a werewolf is not a danger to animals, you see.

And so that's what we did. It took a while but we figured it out just last year, and because of that Remus is so much better off. Without us he had to suffer what was tantamount to torture every month, but now he can bear the transformations. He becomes less dangerous when we're with him, and he doesn't lose his mind and become a crazed monster. He doesn't have to dread every full moon because now they're the best times of his life.

I'm telling you this so you know what you could be compromising. If James, Peter and I, his closest friends, can't help him… well, you know what he'll still have to endure. You're his friend too, and I don't think you'd want to ruin something so important to him."

For several moments after he finished, a stricken Kylie stood there silently, gazing at the ground. Finally she looked back up at him, feeling guiltier than she'd ever felt in her life.

"I… I didn't know…" she said quietly, her eyes moist and shining.

"Yeah, well… how could you have?" he replied with a shrug.

"I'm so sorry," she added softly. Then she slumped against a tree, her hands over her face. "Oh god I'm such a bitch!"

Sirius raised a brow. "I take it you uh… won't be telling McGonagall about this?"

"No. No of course not," she said, shaking her head.

"Oh good. Thanks for that," he replied.

"I did it for Remus, not you. It doesn't mean I approve of the fact that you run around in the dark with a full grown werewolf all over the grounds and the forest and god knows where else, endangering your life and the lives of everyone around you."

"Well, lucky for me, I don't have to live my life according to what you approve of," he answered lightly, turning to leave.

"Wait," she called out suddenly. "I have an answer to that question you asked before."

He looked back at her, puzzled.

"You asked me what I wanted in exchange for keeping my mouth shut about your exploits," she reminded him, smiling. "I know what I want."

"Oh. Great," he said with forced enthusiasm. "Just what is that?"

She looked him straight in the eye and said firmly, "Teach me how to become an Animagus."

If Sirius had been drinking something that very second, he would have spat it out in surprise. He gave her an incredulous look.

"You… you want to learn how to become an Animagus? You sure you don't want me to just do all your homework for the rest of the year? I'd prefer that by _far_…" he said, almost pleading with her.

"No thanks. I've made up my mind," she answered simply.

"But _why?_"

"Because that's what I want," she insisted. "I'd really like to learn how to become an Animagus. And I'm certain you could teach me. You taught Peter, didn't you? I know he could never have figured it out by himself."

"Yeah I did… but damn, Kylie! Do you have any idea how difficult it would be?"

"Yes… but you can do it, so why can't I?"

"Because _I_ am a genius!" he replied as if that were obvious.

"Good. That way I'll have a _genius_ to teach me, and not some incompetent oaf," she said cheerfully.

He groaned in annoyance. "I guess…" he mumbled.

"Then it's settled. I guess lessons can start later tonight. I'll meet you in the entrance hall after dinner," she said, thinking quickly. "So until then, see you!"

With that she practically skipped away, leaving him wondering how he'd let himself get into this mess.

* * *

Kylie found Remus in the prefect's HQ, which wasn't particularly crowded because most of the prefects were now situated throughout the school setting up decorations for Halloween. She took a deep breath and walked up to where he was sitting at a table organizing plans for the Halloween Feast. 

"Hello," she said nervously.

He looked up and smiled. "Hey."

She sat down across from him. "Remus, I'm really sorry about-"

"Don't worry," he said quickly. "It's okay. I'm not upset or anything."

"Are… you sure?" she asked slowly.

"Of course!" he replied cheerfully. "Look, anyone would have gotten suspicious if they'd discovered something like that map and they would have looked into it just as you did."  
"But my petty need to get back at Sirius and James almost screwed up everything for you!" she said.

"You didn't know what you were getting into. It wasn't your fault," insisted Remus. "Besides, you haven't 'screwed up' anything. I was just talking to Sirius a minute ago and he told me you would keep our secret. So thank you."

"You're welcome," she said, still feeling somewhat guilty.

"I also heard what you're making Sirius do," said Remus with a chuckle.

"Oh, about that… I don't know why I decided that. It just sorta… randomly came out, you know?"

"You don't have to explain yourself. I actually think this might be good for Sirius," laughed Remus.

"What?"

"Well…" he began uncertainly. "It could… teach him some responsibility, you know?"

"I guess…" she replied slowly. "Um, so when did it happen?"

"When did what happen?"

"When you got… bit…"

"Oh, that," he said, thinking about it for a moment. "I was a small boy, around four, when it happened. I can hardly remember a time when I didn't have this… condition."

"It must be awful…"

"Yeah, but it's not so bad anymore… now that I'm at Hogwarts, that is. Plus I heard there's research being done to deal specifically with the transformations. If I'm lucky soon I'll never have to lock myself up every full moon."

"Hopefully. I haven't told anyone else, just so you know," she said to assure him.

"Thanks. Most of the teachers know already, but I don't think it would be good for too many students to know," he stated.

Just then the Head Girl's voice was heard, calling for Kylie to come assist her with something. "Well… take care," Kylie said, rising from her seat.

"You too. And good luck with those lessons," he said with a grin.

"Thanks."

* * *

"Whatever you morph into is the whatever creature best represents your own personality. It's all about bringing out the inner animal," spoke Sirius somewhat absently. He and Kylie had met up after dinner as planned and had found an empty classroom nearby for her first Animagus lesson. Sirius had begun by trying to explain the basic theory of the Animagus transformation. 

"My 'inner animal'?" repeated Kylie, raising her brow slightly.

"Yes. It's pretty much what kind of animal acts or thinks the way you do as a person. Symbolically, you could say," he replied, not going out of his way to hide his boredom. He sat leaning back on his chair with his legs resting on a desk and casually tossing his wand in the air and catching it again, looking like he wasn't even paying attention to his own lesson.

"So how do I figure out what… animal I am?" asked Kylie, hiding her annoyance.

"There's a complicated spell involving lots of concentration and patience," he recited dully. "The Animagus morph requires setting a goal for you to achieve, which means you will have to know what animal you will eventually become. Once you figure it out, which you probably _won't_, then you can move on to the actual practicing of the transformation. That's the tricky part. The part that can go 'horribly wrong', as you have pointed out."

"It can't be _that_ difficult. If I do everything correctly shouldn't it be just fine?" Kylie asked from where she sat at a desk a few feet away.

"_If_ you do everything correctly. If you try something without my help you could end up turning half of yourself into an animal and getting stuck that way," he said. Kylie winced at the unpleasant image that brought to mind. "Peter's transformation would have been disastrous had James and I not been there to coach him through it."

"I'm sure I'll be able to handle it if poor Peter could," she stated confidently.

"If you say so," he said with a shrug.

Later on, after Sirius had taught her the incantation for the 'inner animal meditation' and explained to her what she needed to do, the two of them headed back to the Gryffindor tower since it was already past ten.

"So Sirius, what are the animals you guys became?" Kylie asked suddenly.

"Why do you want to know?" he asked with a yawn.

"I'm just curious. I only saw you three at a distance. I couldn't tell what… species you were exactly."

He sighed. "James is a stag, and Peter is a rat," he replied. "And I'm a dog."

She giggled. "That figures."

"What's so wrong with being a represented by a dog, huh?" he asked with a very wolfish grin. "Dogs are very courageous and loyal to their friends…"

"Yes. And someone who is described as a 'dog' can be a great deal of _other things_, too," she said with a sigh.

"You know, I wouldn't be surprised if you morphed into a vixen or something. It would suit you," he said slyly.

"You think I'm ill-tempered?"

"Uh, did I _say_ that?" he asked innocently.

She glared at him. "Whatever. I'll see you tomorrow after lunch."

"What for?"

She rolled her eyes. "For my next lesson! What d'you think?"

"Oh. Right…" he grumbled irritably.

"Good night, Sirius," she called with a positively wicked smile as she practically skipped up to the Fat Lady's portrait.

* * *

A/N: Yeah… I did the best I could with the whole 'animagus lessons' thingy… I really have no clue how people in the wizarding world go about doing that ;; (since J.K. Rowling hasn't really elaborated on it yet), so I just came up with all that stuff myself (I hope it doesn't sound too dumb, lol). 

Please review!


	7. Beguiling Strangers

**Chapter Seven: Beguiling Strangers**

The lessons continued on pretty much the same for the next two weeks. Sirius instructed Kylie on the meditating as well as one of the practicing processes that involved taking one of her strands of hair and transfiguring it into a part of the animal she was trying to transform into – it could be another strand of fur, a feather, a reptilian scale, etc. Kylie balanced working on that with training Winonell on their scheduled sessions three times a week, team Quidditch practices, as well as their growing amount of schoolwork.

It was with high spirits that Kylie was busy hanging Halloween decorations with Lily one late Sunday afternoon in the middle of October. Winonell was already improving on her Keeping form, Kylie was handling her classes quite well for once in her life, and the Animagus practices were getting simpler every time. Sirius was actually saying he would soon not have to teach her much more because she knew how to practice properly; it would just take time and patience to get the transformation down. She even knew what animal she would become and couldn't wait to become it for the first time.

"I can't believe how fortunate we are, Kylie! If we had been at Hogwarts at any other year we wouldn't have had this chance!" exclaimed Lily excitedly. She was talking about, of course, the announcement just made to all the Houses that this year, for the first and likely last time ever, there would be a dance/masquerade party held on Halloween night _in _Hogsmeade at the village fest hall with one of the most popular bands of the time as the entertainment. And to make it even better, only sixth and seventh years were allowed to attend since many teachers were reluctant to let underclassmen out so late.

"It's going to be so fabulous! Only upperclassmen allowed, we get to dress up however we want, and hang out in Hogsmeade all night while the younger students are stuck just having a feast in the Great Hall!" Lily clasped her hands together, eyes shining. "Plus, I'll be going as Wesley Kent's date!"

Kylie smiled. "Sounds great," she said. "I wonder what James will do when he sees you two together. He doesn't know you're practically going out with Wesley, does he?"

"Nope. And I don't think he _will_ see me. It's a masquerade, remember? No one will be able to recognize each other unless they already know who's wearing what."

"I don't know about that. I have a feeling James would recognize you no matter what disguise or mask you might be wearing," Kylie said.

"Well, even _if_ that's the case, he wouldn't dare pester me with the Head Boy as my date," Lily replied confidently as she muttered the incantation to get the miniature pumpkins she had laid out to float in midair.

"Again, I'm not so sure about that," Kylie laughed.

Lily sighed. "Well, I think we're pretty much done here. Let's go get some dinner. I'm starving!"

"Sure."

As they arrived in the Great Hall and headed over their usual seats, they noticed how much louder the chatter in the Hall was than usual. Groups of people were all whispering excitedly about something, likely the upcoming masquerade, but Kylie wasn't so sure.

"What's up?" asked Kylie as she and Lily sat down across from Taren and Kimmie.

"You haven't heard?" asked Kimmie. "There's a new girl. A transfer student into the sixth year."

"Are you serious?" asked Lily, surprised. "That's never happened before, has it?"

Kimmie shrugged. "Beats me. I dunno what the big deal is, though."

"What House is she in?" asked Kylie.

"Ravenclaw," replied two voices simultaneously. They looked up to see the Brooks twins, followed by Mallory, arriving and sitting next to them. They didn't seem to be as perky as usual. There was a sort of huffy irritableness about their mood.

"We just saw her with a bunch of the Ravenclaws outside," explained Mallory. "She's like totally popular already."

"Ugh, it's only because she's really rich," said Ocean.

"Oh my God, did you _see_ all the jewelry she was wearing? It was all diamonds and stuff!" said Opal indignantly. "How vulgar is that!"

"I know!"

"I heard it's because her dad's been Ambassador for the Ministry of Magic to loads of countries," Ocean said. "And she thinks she so cool since she's been all over the world."

"Someone said she can speak five other languages!" added Mallory with a derisive scoff. "I mean, what's so great about that?"

Lily, Kylie, Taren and Kimmie exchanged looks, all wondering why the three blondes had taken such a powerful dislike for this new girl.

"So what's her name?" asked Taren curiously.

"Circe Billancourt," answered Opal immediately with a roll of her eyes. "What kind of name is '_Circe_' anyway?"

Kylie tried hard not to smile.

"She's strutting around like she owns the place, you know," stated Ocean. "And she wears all these expensive clothes just so everyone knows how much money she has."

Mallory gasped. "There she is!" she said quickly, lowering her voice to a rushed whisper. She gestured towards the entrance of the Great Hall.

Kylie glanced up and saw a group of girls and a few guys walking into the Hall and heading for the Ravenclaw table. At the center was the new girl, Circe Billancourt, and Kylie knew right away why the twins and Mallory didn't like her.

The girl was beautiful enough to be super-model, with wavy flaxen hair cascading about her shoulders just right, an exquisitely sculpted face, a flawless, fair complexion and a pair of huge eyes so blue-green Kylie could tell what color they were even from where she was sitting a few feet away. She walked with an air of confidence about her with perfect grace, surrounded by other students all wanting to talk to her. Circe seemed to enjoy the attention, and probably expected nothing less.

"Look at them!" exclaimed Opal with disgust. "That Marcella and Florence all sucking up to her."

"I can't even stand to watch them," uttered Ocean in annoyance. She stood up to leave. "I've lost my appetite."

"Me too," said Mallory and Opal. The three of them all briskly left the Great Hall, leaving the four others in silence for a moment.

Suddenly Kimmie laughed. "God, who bloody well _cares_?" she asked out loud, shaking her head.

"I know," muttered Taren in exasperation.

"I don't get it… Why are those three so upset about this new girl?" asked Lily, looking puzzled.

"They're jealous," replied Kylie. "She's getting all the attention suddenly and taking the spotlight away from them. That's why."

"Oh… I see."

"So what do you guys think of this Halloween masquerade thing?" asked Taren, bored with the whole Circe subject.

"It's _wicked_!" exclaimed Kimmie. "I'm _so_ dressing up in something totally slutty because none of the teachers will be there to say anything about it!"

Kylie laughed. "You never know. Maybe they'll be there in disguise as well just to make sure we students behave ourselves."

"Does anyone have dates yet?" asked Taren.

"Yup. I'm going with Wes," replied Lily, beaming happily.

"Oh, so you call him 'Wes' now, do you?" teased Kimmie playfully. "What have you guys been up to lately, anyway?"

"Yeah, don't think we haven't noticed how often you go sneaking off to see him," added Taren.

"We haven't done anything like that!" she cried vehemently. "The most we've done is hold hands and talk about intellectual stuff…"

"You mean this guy wants to have real intelligent, meaningful conversations with you?" asked Taren with surprise. Lily nodded cheerfully.

"So he's good-looking, smart, responsible, polite and a gentleman who's actually interested in a girl for her mind!" stated Kylie with wonder. "He's one of a kind…"

"No kidding…" muttered Kimmie. "Almost too good to be true… You sure he's not gay or something?"

"What? No! Of course not!" cried Lily. Her cheeks lit up. "I mean… he's written love letters and been all romantic with me…"

"_Ooh!_" cried Kylie teasingly.

"You're blushing, Lils!" added Taren.

"Don't let James find out about this," warned Kimmie with a laugh. "I shudder to think of what he'd do if he knew…"

"Hmph! Let him find out! I don't care. It's my life and I shouldn't have to worry about what bloody Potter thinks!" stated Lily fiercely.

"Where are those guys, anyway?" asked Taren curiously.

"Somewhere up to no good, I'd say," said Kylie.

"Hmm…" murmured Kimmie.

"What is it?" they asked her.

"Oh nothing… Just wondering if they know about the 'sensational new girl' yet," she answered thoughtfully. "Someone like her won't escape their notice for long. Particularly Sirius'."

"You're right. She seems to be just his type," agreed Taren.

"Ugh, who cares? Come on, let's go get that transfiguration homework done in the library. We haven't even _started _yet!" exclaimed Lily.

"Alright, alright…" sighed Kimmie gloomily.

XXX

Wednesday later on in the week Kylie headed towards her Ancient Runes class after lunch, once again in a very sunny mood. The day before had ended with a very satisfying Quidditch practice, so she felt quite confident they were bound to have an excellent season (as usual). Plus she had just had a very amusing time of helping her friends pick their costumes for the masquerade. (Kimmie had chosen one particular dress that Taren had dubbed 'deplorably skanky', which of course made Kimmie want to pick it even more).

She arrived in the Ancient Runes classroom and began unpacking all her materials as all the lightly chattering students around her did the same.

"Hey Kylie!" greeted the bubbly voice of Bellany Abbey, who sat down in her usual seat next to Kylie.

"Hi Bellany," she replied with a smile.

"Ugh, did you understand _any_ of the homework? I was so lost…" she sighed.

"You mean the transcript of that Egyptian tablet? You just have to find the pattern inherent in all the pictographs. Once you've got it the translation is actually quite simple. Here, I'll show you," said Kylie.

As she went about explaining Bellany what to do, Kylie didn't notice none other than Circe Billancourt waltz into the room and up to Professor Cordell, handing her a piece of paper.

"Ah yes, you must be Miss Billancourt," the elderly woman said. "You may take the empty seat next to Miss Hart over there. If you have any questions I'm sure she'll be able to help you."

Kylie looked up at the mention of her name, slightly startled. Circe strode sedately over to the desk and sat down, flashing a perfect white smile.

"Hi. I'm Circe," she said sweetly. Her voice was melodious bearing the faintest hint of a foreign accent Kylie couldn't quite recognize.

"Nice to meet you," Kylie replied cordially. "I'm Kylie."

"Aw, what a darling name!" she cried.

Kylie blinked at her. "Oh, thanks…" she replied hesitantly. She shuffled through her notes to find where they'd left off from the last lesson as Professor Cordell began explaining in more detail about pictographs left by ancient Egyptian wizards.

"So are you, smart in this class, or something?" asked Circe in a low, whispered tone after a few minutes.

"Um… you could say that."

"Brilliant! You can help to tutor me! I'm really quite terrible in this sort of class. I didn't even want to be in here but my daddy insisted on it," she muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Really?" said Kylie absently, who was trying to pay attention to the lecture and getting slightly annoyed by the interruptions.

"What House are you in?" asked Circe.

"What? Oh, Gryffindor…"

"Really? That's too bad. I was hoping you'd be in Ravenclaw, too. Oh well. Hey! I didn't know Paris was in this class!" She waved over at Paris Stone who was sitting on the other side of the room, who waved back excitedly and started scribbling down what was obviously a note she planned on passing to her.

Circe smiled and then yawned as she looked back towards Professor Cordell. "So, what's she talking about here?"

_Why don't you try listening and find out yourself?_ Kylie thought irritably. "Egyptian pictographs," she whispered.

"Is that so? You know I've been to Egypt. Into the pyramids and everything."

"That's nice."

Just then the note that Paris had written magically floated over into Circe' hand. She discreetly opened it and giggled as she read over it, then proceeded to jot down a reply to send back.

_Well at least she's not bothering me with annoying questions for the moment,_ mused Kylie with a faint sigh. Ten minutes later, after Professor Cordell finished explaining the lesson, the day's assignment magically appeared on everyone's desks – another more complicated Egyptian transcript for them to try and decipher while working with a partner. Before Kylie could say a word, she was unwillingly paired up with Circe, who had not listened to a word of the lesson and now had no idea what to do. Which meant Kylie had to do all the work while Circe spent the entire class scribbling notes to Paris, giggling as she read Paris' return notes, and telling Kylie everything that was on her mind, whether Kylie wanted to hear it or not.

"And I can't believe we have to _share_ dormitories with other students," was what Circe was saying near the end of the grueling double period. "I mean, shouldn't the elite students get their own private rooms and bathrooms? It's only natural, right? My mummy tried to arrange for me to have my own room but apparently that Assistant Headmaster woman wouldn't allow it. It's not that big of a request, really. I mean, sure, there are a lot of girls in my Ravenclaw dorm who are fine as roommates – like Paris and Antoinette. _They _happen to be of decent family, at least. But what about all the others? Those lower class few and the… other sort, you know what I mean? I don't think it's fair that someone of my position should have to dorm with all that impure riffraff. _Their_ sort shouldn't even be allowed to attend the school, I say. At least, that's how it was in all the other magic schools _I've_ been to in other countries. Don't you agree, Kylie? I mean, it's really quite preposterous! I never had to worry about who I was socializing with in all my other schools, before! Now I never know if someone I'm talking to has dirty blood or not. It's really very stressful, you know."

Kylie, who was already brimming with the urge to give the snobby, impertinent Miss Billancourt an angry piece of her mind, nearly sighed with relief when the bell rang signaling the end of class. She quickly snatched up her things without pausing to stuff them into her bag and hurried out of the class, eager to get away.

_God, what an awful person! How dare she say such things so callously? I never knew someone could be so…so… UGH! I don't blame Ocean, Opal and Mallory for disliking her!_ She thought, still fuming.

As her mind swirled with indignant and wrathful thoughts about Circe, a distracted Kylie didn't notice another student coming around the upcoming corner in the corridor before it was too late. She let out an "_Oof!_" of surprise as she collided straight into him, her books tumbling out of her hands to the floor.

She let out a muffled oath and dropped to the ground to gather them up. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going," she said hastily in an apologetic yet also very exasperated tone.

"No, no, no, it's alright," he said quickly. "I wasn't paying attention either," he added with a slight chuckle. He stooped down to help her.

"Here you go," he said, handing her one of her books. As she took it she looked up at him and quite suddenly found herself staring up into the face of a guy with longish dark hair that hung over even darker, mysterious pair of eyes in a face of chiseled good looks.

And just as suddenly, she was blushing and had no idea why.

"Thanks," she uttered shyly, standing up.

"No problem, Kylie," he replied, rising as well.

"Do I… know you?" she asked, feeling a little disoriented. He did _look_ somewhat familiar…

"Well, sort of. I'm Evan. Evan Rosier," he said with a smile that managed to make him look more attractive.

"Oh! From Quid-" she began to say, recognizing the name. "From Quidditch…"

"Yeah, that's me. Well, I gotta go, so… take care in the corridors from now on, okay?" he said jokingly.

She smiled and nodded. "Sure." She stared after him until he disappeared around another corner down the hall, perplexed. She did remember him now. Evan Rosier was a seventh year Chaser on his House team, and that's where she'd seen him vaguely before.

And he just happened to be one of the Slytherins.

She made her way back to the Gryffindor common room still in the same sort of daze, wondering why a Slytherin _and_ Quidditch opponent had been so nice to her. Any other Slytherin would have likely insulted her, laughed at her and then walked off.

She touched her cheek that was still flushed with warmth, and remembered wistfully how she'd almost lost herself into Evan's deeply intense eyes as she'd gazed at him. Then abruptly, she snapped out of it. _Goodness! What's wrong with me? This is a Slytherin I'm thinking about! It doesn't matter how cute he is! Just forget all about him right now! _

Lily, Taren and Kimmie were in the common room sitting in armchairs near the fireplace when Kylie joined them. She slumped down into the empty seat, rubbing her head.

"What's wrong?" asked Lily, who was already starting on her homework.

"Huh? Oh… nothing really. Just had a weird day," mumbled Kylie. She wasn't sure why, but at the moment she chose against disclosing to her friends about the odd encounter with Evan.

"How so?" questioned Kimmie.

"Well… you know that new girl?" she asked, suddenly remembering the reason for her headache.

They nodded.

"Yeah, I agree with the twins and Mallory," Kylie sighed. "She's a real piece of work."

"You've met her?"

"Yup, in 'Runes," she sighed. "Let me put it this way: she makes Paris Stone seem like a sweet-hearted angel."

"Is she really that bad?" asked Taren.

"Well, from the two hours I had to spend listening to her talk, I've derived that she's vain, selfish, self-centered, insipid, insolent, just to _sum her up a bit_. In fact, I'm honestly quite stunned she's not a Slytherin. She certainly seems to share most of their beliefs…"

"Ick… You mean that pureblood nonsense? She's one of _those_?" gasped Kimmie.

Kylie nodded.

"When are people going to stop with that kind of ignorance?" demanded Taren in frustration. "It's such a medieval belief and it's so ridiculous!"

"Don't go getting too worked up about it," advised Lily with a shake of her head. "People like that have their beliefs hammered into them from the day their born. They can't help it."

"Lils, you're too tolerating," said Taren with a smile.

"What else are we supposed to do about it?" Lily replied simply. "Nothing we say is going to change their minds, so why bother?"

"Well, _I'm_ certainly not going to stand idly by while some spoiled snob like Circe tries to insult Muggleborns. And not just because my mum is one," stated Kylie sternly. "We have to stand up for ourselves."

"Good for you!" praised Kimmie. "We'll show those uppity purebloods! Especially when we Gryffindors start kicking their sorry hides in the Quidditch field!"

"That's right!" agreed Taren with equal enthusiasm.

XXX

"Are you even listening to me at all?" demanded Sirius impatiently.

"Huh?" blurted Kylie, shaken from her reverie. She regarded him, glaring down at her where she sat at a desk, with mild confusion, almost forgetting where she was.

"Oh, sorry," she said meekly.

"_You're_ the one who absolutely _insisted_ on these lessons, Kylie," he said petulantly. "And here you are not even bothering to pay attention. And right when I was getting to the interesting part, too!"

Kylie smiled, unable to hold back a giggle.

"And just what is so damn funny?"

"Nothing," she replied innocently. "I'm just realizing that there's a whole side of you I didn't even know existed before now."

He raised a brow. "Is that so? Care to elaborate?"

"_Well_… You're _Sirius Black_. _Always_ suave! Always cool and composed about _everything_!" she began, adding a good deal of dramatic exaggeration for effect. "But I see now that you're actually quite a moody person. Even downright crabby, sometimes."

He blinked at her for a moment, as if caught by surprise. Then he got up and paced around a bit, folding his arms and saying with a scoff, "Tch, it's only your utter and complete annoyingness that brings out the worst in me."

She laughed.

"Again with the funny! Just what is it that you find so _amusing_?"

"You, of course," she answered with a grin.

"Whatever," he grumbled. "You know, I'm beginning to think a fly would suit you more than a vixen."

"I'm not _that_ annoying," she said in a cute little voice, cocking her head and eyeing him teasingly.

"What animal are you going to become, anyway? Shouldn't you know by now?" he inquired curiously.

"You'll find out soon enough," she replied in a voice laced in mystery.

"Why can't you just tell me now?"

"_Duh!_" she said in an uncanny imitation of the Brooks twins. "I want it to be a surprise!"

"See! You _are_ that annoying!"

"Hmm… you're right, maybe I am…" Kylie mused thoughtfully, eyes shining with mirth.

He stared at her, shaking his head. "_Anyway_… I'm just gonna get this bloody lesson over with, alright?"

"Sure thing," she replied cheerfully.

With a sigh and another shake of his head Sirius resumed where'd left off in the lesson, Kylie still smiling as she watched and _tried_ to pay attention this time. It had, after all, been a strange week.

Ever since that brief encounter with Evan Rosier, Kylie had found herself constantly day dreaming about him. When she tried to focus and block him from her mind, he'd actually be around in reality. In fact, she seemed to be seeing a lot of Evan over the past few days. He was a seventh year, but still every day in her schedule she seemed to walk by him in the halls, or bump into him outside during break or in the library, and now, because they were technically 'acquainted' with each other, he would pause to say hi. Sometimes, when there was time to spare, he would stop to talk to her, ask how her day was going. Small talk, really, but nice, nonetheless.

Before she knew it, she was beginning to look forward to those quick moments of the day when she expected to run into him, thinking of the things she wanted to say to him, wondering what his opinion would be. At one point he started talking about classes, and she, in that weird giddy mood she always seemed to be in when he was around, impulsively mentioned she was having difficulty finishing her D.A.D.A report. Evan instantly offered to help her on it, and now they had arranged to meet later this Saturday evening. Right after her current lesson with Sirius, in fact.

"Are we done here?" mumbled Sirius sometime later. "I'd really like to get back to being '_suave_', '_cool_', and '_composed_' with the people who _don't_ annoy me."

She smiled again, gathering up her bag. "Yeah, we're done for today," she said with a sigh. "I'll see you later."

He was already on his way out of the empty classroom before she'd even finished the sentence.

Not long afterwards she entered the library, almost bumping into Snape who happened to be hurrying out at the same time. His lips curled in a contemptuous sneer when he saw her, but she merely glared back and stalked on past him.

Evan was already waiting for her at a table near the back. His face lit up when he spotted her, and she felt her heart almost skip a beat. _Oh my god! Since when do I turn into a stupid flighty little girl when a boy SMILES at me? Am I sick or something? Do I have some loony variation of the flu? Did someone spike my pumpkin juice this morning? What's WRONG with me?_

Ignoring the frenzied thoughts in her head, she smiled benignly back, sitting down next to him.

"Hello," she greeted, already feeling a blush creeping into her cheeks.

"Hi," he said warmly. "It's a report on the three unforgivable curses, right? Good, because I got a bunch of reference books that should be really helpful. I remember using them last year."

"Oh… good," she replied awkwardly. "Shall we… get started, then?"

He nodded, and immediately went about explaining thoroughly all of the unforgivable curses. He was actually very well versed in them. She didn't even need to consult the books because he could answer any particular questions she had. The report was complete within no time at all, it seemed.

"Thank goodness that's done with," she sighed, rolling her parchment up and slipping it into her bag, ready for classes on Monday. "And thank you so much. I'd probably never have finished on my own…" _Damn it! I'm blushing again!_

"Glad to be of assistance," he said with a chuckle.

As she stood up in her seat, ready to leave, he spoke up again.

"Hey, listen, I was wondering something," he began, standing up and slinging his bag over his shoulder.

She looked at him expectantly.

"I was… kind of wondering if you'd like to go with me to that Halloween masquerade next weekend?"

_What?_

"You're… asking _me_?" she stammered none too eloquently.

He nodded.

"I… I uh…" _Good grief, now I'm speaking incoherently! I'm such a twit! _She quietly cleared her throat, thinking fast. "Um… can I sleep on it first?" The second she said it she mentally smacked herself. _It's just a dumb dance! It's not like he's proposing marriage to me! Why do I have to "sleep on it"? Stupid answer! _

"Okay," he said agreeably. "Let me know tomorrow, then?"

She nodded, and the minute he left she took off for Gryffindor tower.

XXX

"Oh. My. _God!_" gasped Kimmie.

"No way!" cried Taren.

"I can't believe you didn't tell us about this sooner, Kylie!" said Lily.

Kylie had, of course, in a brief summary, just finished telling her friends in the privacy of their dorm room about what had just happened.

"Yeah, seriously! How long have you and this guy been…'hanging out'?" demanded Kimmie.

"Only for about a week…" mumbled Kylie hesitantly.

"And he's already asked you to be his date for the Halloween party?" asked Taren.

"Of course he has!" blurted Kimmie. "It _is_ this weekend, after all! He can't go waiting too long to ask. Who is he, anyway?"

"Evan Rosier."

"Evan Ros… _Evan Rosier_?" Kimmie gabbled out, shocked. "But he's… he's!"

"A Slytherin, yes," responded Kylie dully.

"Really?" asked Taren interestedly.

"Since when do you cavort around with Slytherins?" asked Kimmie, collecting herself.

"We haven't been cavorting, really… and he's the only one…" replied Kylie defensively. "Besides, he's not that bad… he seems… nice."

"So… you're saying that some Slytherins are actually…" Taren hesitated. "Decent human beings?"

Kylie shrugged. "Well… yes."

"I guess that's a good thing, then. It gives hope for the future," said Taren thoughtfully. "If one Slytherin can turn out alright, then so can the rest of them."

"Oh, Taren! That's not important right now! Kylie is finally _dating!_" cried Kimmie excitedly.

Taren exchanged an amused look with Kylie.

"Actually, Kim, I haven't decided whether I'm going to go with him or not," piped up Kylie.

"What?"

"I mean that I told him I'd sleep on it. I haven't made my decision yet."

"Well then first thing tomorrow morning you go track him down and _tell him yes!_" insisted Kimmie. She whirled around, hurrying over to the door. "I gotta go find that catalog so we can find you the perfect outfit! Ooh, this is so awesome!"

As the brunette disappeared out of the room, Taren chuckled.

"You know, she's a lot more like the Brooks twins than I think she realizes," she remarked.

"You're right," agreed Kylie with a laugh. "What's wrong, Lily?"

Lily was seating quietly on the end of her bed with a very pensive look on her face, her brow furrowed.

"It's just… you say you've only talked with this Evan guy for a week or so?" she asked after a moment's hesitation.

"Yes. I literally ran into him one day after class last week. He was nice, and then afterwards I kept seeing him around and now it has come to this…" explained Kylie slowly. "Why? Is something bothering you?"

"Uh… actually… I don't know…" she said tentatively. "It merely seems a little strange."

"How so?" asked Taren.

"The fact that he almost randomly started talking to you and has 'coincidentally' run into you everywhere. And now suddenly he's asking you out… And the fact that he's of a rival House and Quidditch team renowned for their fondness of… playing cheap tricks…"

"Wait a minute… You think Evan's has some alternate agenda that has to do with hurting Gryffindor somehow?" asked Taren.

"Something like that…" murmured Lily.

Kylie folded her arms, thinking quietly.

"It _does_ seem a little suspicious, come to think of it," spoke up Taren after a moment. "But then again… maybe we're just being really paranoid…"

"I don't think Evan would do something like that. He seems genuine to me," said Kylie hopefully.

"Be careful, Kylie," urged Lily. "You've only just met this guy, after all."

"I know…"

At that moment Kimmie barged in, bristling like an angry cat.

"_Arggh! _Some bloody first years _borrowed_ my catalog and _lost it!_" she snarled. "Remind me never to leave stuff lying around for those cheeky little brats to steal!"

Taren giggled as Lily merely smiled, while Kylie collapsed onto her bed, head reeling with uncertainty.

XXX

Sunday morning dawned bright and early for Kylie. Her head still ached somewhat from all the thinking she'd done the night before, but she was never one to sleep in till the afternoon like most students would be. Her parents had made sure of that.

She silently sipped her juice in the Great Hall for breakfast that morning, not really involved with the light conversation Lily, Kimmie and Taren were having. She gazed up at the ceiling that showed the autumn gray sky, noting how much its dull blandness seemed to reflect her mood.

"Hi Kylie!" greeted a sweetly pitched voice she wished she didn't recognize.

Circe had practically appeared out of nowhere beside her.

"Oh… hi Circe…" Kylie greeted, trying not to look too displeased to see her.

"Can I talk to you for a sec?" Circe asked quickly, completely ignoring the others at the table.

Kylie nodded hesitantly. She _really_ didn't feel like talking to Circe at the moment…

"Good! Let's go!" Circe cried, beaming and grabbing a hold of Kylie's wrist, dragging her to her feet and leading her off to an empty area of the Gryffindor table where no one was sitting. Kylie glanced helplessly back at her friends, who all appeared to be wearing expressions of equal bafflement. Well, Kimmie was smirking.

"Okay," said Circe, sitting down and yanking Kylie down beside her. "There's something I've been wondering about. It's to do with Sirius Black."

_Oh no…_

"I was told that he's had a lot of girlfriends, and most of those relationships don't last very long," she began, flipping back her shiny hair. "And you see, _I_ plan to change that. The reason I need to talk to you is because I've also heard that you are like one of the few girls in this school who _hasn't_ dated him and who also happens to know him pretty well. I know of course that his closest friends would probably know him the best, but I can't just go asking a _guy_ about this kind of thing! That would just be so weird! You're obviously not interested in him _that_ way. You're more like… like a little sister to him, aren't you? Of course! And that's why I think you could really help me in this. What say you?"

Kylie sighed. "Right… let me guess… you want me to tell you everything about him so that you can know exactly how to win his affections, don't you? Or maybe you just want me to set you guys up on a date?"

Circe shrugged thoughtfully, beaming once more. Apparently she had assumed Kylie was quite happy to help her.

_If she thinks for one second I'm going to help her she's got another thing coming! Besides, there's no way she has any chance of getting with him. Sirius may be ridiculously superficial when it comes to girls… but definitely not enough to want to go out with her! It'd be no different than going out with a Slytherin!_

Kylie clenched her fists, tempted to yell all those things straight into the little upstart's face, but remembered it was always better to keep her cool, barely managing to control her angry impulses (for once). "I'm sorry, Circe. But I don't think I _can_ help you. I barely talk to Sirius at all. In fact, he doesn't even like me! I'm hardly the person who can give you advise on him."

"But… Florence said you two are _always_ talking. She heard from some twins in Gryffindor that you two hang out _a lot_ together," Circe insisted, frowning.

"Well, Florence is mistaken. Gotta go."

With that, Kylie smiled and turned on her heel, heading back to her seat to rejoin the others.

"What was that all about?" asked Lily, watching a perturbed looking Circe sit down at the Ravenclaw table.

"Oh, it wasn't anything important. Circe wanted me to tell her stuff about Sirius," Kylie sighed again. "But naturally, I refused."

"I knew it," replied Kimmie with a chuckle. "He's exactly the kind of guy she'd want as her trophy boyfriend. Perfect for increasing one's standing in the school social circles, which I think is the only thing she really cares about."

"Popularity?" asked Lily, munching her toast.

"Yup."

"She really is quite a rude person," stated Taren sternly. "Just interrupting us and demanding a favor of you like its no big thing. Honestly!"

Lily nodded with disapproval. "Anyways, Kylie, have you made up your mind about Evan yet?"

"Evan? Oh…" Kylie hesitated. "No… not yet."

"Well, you'd better _hurry_ before he changes his mind, Kylie," urged Kimmie. "The masquerade is in a week!"

"I know… I know…"

"Oh! I gotta run!" cried Lily suddenly.

"Why, what's up?" asked Kimmie.

"I'm supposed to meet Wes for prefect duties."

"And by that you mean 'snogging sessions', don't you?" said Kimmie mischievously.

Lily smiled. "Whatever, Kim! See you guys!"

As she left the Great Hall Kimmie shook her head in wonder. "If someone had told me a year ago that Lily would be sneaking off to see a boyfriend on an almost daily basis, I'd have told them they were _insane_."

Taren and Kylie chuckled.

"So do you guys wanna go for a walk or something? Before the cold weather really starts to kick in?" suggested Kimmie.

"Sure," they replied.

XXX

They returned nearly an hour later, climbing the stairs in the relatively crowded entrance hall and continuing a chat that had begun outside. Taren and Kimmie were debating over whether or not _Shade_, the band that was coming to play at the masquerade, were really true musical artists or just a bunch of posers.

"They are _so_ genuine!" insisted Kimmie. "They write their own lyrics, play their own music, and everything! When they were our age, they had nothing and now they're superstars."

"Well, I happen to know at least _one _of their hit songs was totally done for them," replied Taren simply.

"And how do you know that?"

"_Because_ I have a cousin who works in their WWN record company, remember?"

"No way!"

"Way!"

Kylie, who had been quietly smiling and listening to their chatter, had suddenly stopped in her tracks.

"Huh? What's wrong?" asked Taren as she and Kimmie nearly ran into her.

Kimmie gasped, having spotted what Kylie was looking at.

"What did I tell you," she said, shaking her head. "I knew it wouldn't be long before those two hooked up."

Sirius was leaning idly against the stair railing up ahead and very obviously flirting with Circe Billancourt, who was almost pressed against him by how close they were standing together. He tilted his head personally towards her, saying something apparently amusing since Circe started laughing afterwards, playfully sending a weak punch into his arm. He flashed her his trademark grin, and Kylie's temper flared.

"I can't believe him!" she uttered through clenched teeth, looking away with disgust at the sight and storming away.

Taren and Kimmie exchanged perplexed glances and hurried after her.

"How can he possibly do that? How _dare_ he!" she continued fiercely.

"Aw, Kylie, but you know how Sirius is. It's not that big of a deal," said Kimmie reassuringly.

"But he's practically betraying Gryffindor!" snapped Kylie. "She goes against everything we stand for!"

"Hey, maybe he was just talking to her that one time just to be polite. For all we know he probably doesn't even like her," said Taren. Kylie stopped, turning around and gesturing back at the couple still lingering in the entrance hall.

"Does that look like mere polite chit chat to you?" she asked.

Circe was giggling again. She said something to Sirius and then kissed him briefly on the cheek, waving as they went off in opposite directions.

"I suppose not…" murmured Taren.

Kylie spun about again, Taren and Kimmie following.

"He clearly hasn't seen her for what she really is! I bet she's being nothing but sweet and cute to him, just to trick him-" Kylie stopped in mid-sentence when she noticed that the girls' lavatory door was open and there seemed to be quite a commotion from within. The three of them entered.

There was a whole crowd of girls in there already, all of them Ravenclaw sixth years looking anxious as they stood talking and whispering around one of the closed bathroom stalls. Someone was crying from inside.

"What's going on?" asked Kimmie.

Xiu Chen looked helplessly at them as she walked over. "It's Paris," she whispered. "She's been in there for nearly twenty minutes crying."

"Is she alright?" asked Taren with concern. "What happened?"

"It's dreadful, really," sighed Xiu. "You know how she and Sirius broke up a few weeks ago? Well, she's wanted to get back with him ever since, and I think Circe offered to help by talking to him. She said she was really good at matchmaking. So she _did_ go and talk to him… except…"

"Except not on Paris' behalf," finished Taren, guessing correctly.

Xiu nodded. "Right. Paris just found out now that Circe is Sirius' date for the masquerade this weekend."

"Figures," muttered Kylie dully, folding her arms.

"Oh, sweety, you need to come out of there!" called Florence, tapping the stall door. "I'm sure there's an explanation for what she did."

"_No! _She did it on purpose! She's a mean, nasty liar and _I hate her!_" sobbed Paris from within the stall. "I'll never forgive her! I thought she was my friend!"

"But you still need to come out of there, don't you?" asked Marcella. "What's the point of sitting in a bathroom feeling sorry for yourself?"

"My boyfriend has been stolen from me! What else can I do?" whined Paris pitifully.

"Aw, Paris!" said Florence.

Kimmie rolled her eyes, nudging Taren and Kylie so that they would follow her back out of the bathroom.

"You'd think the world was ending from the way she's carrying on," she said.

"I still can't believe him…" said Kylie as they started heading to Gryffindor tower.

"You shouldn't worry about it so much, Kylie," said Taren kindly. "Boys will be boys."

"Especially when they're _this_ age," added Kimmie with a laugh.

"You two go on without me. I just remembered something," stated Kylie suddenly.

"Uh, sure, okay," replied Kimmie as Kylie turned down another corridor and hurried off.

"She's been acting weird lately, hasn't she?" said Taren.

"Yup," agreed Kimmie. "Her _and _Lily both."

XXX

"There you are, Evan!" Kylie called as she arrived in the library. "I thought I'd find you here. Do you have a minute?"

"Sure," Evan said, fastening the catch of his bag. "I was just on my way to the Quidditch field for a practice session. Have you decided yet?"

She nodded quickly, a little out of breath. "My answer is yes."

"Really? You mean you'll go with me to the masquerade?" he asked.

"Of course," she replied. "I'm sure it'll be fun!"

He smiled at her. "Certainly," he said. "The dance starts around eight this Saturday, I think, so we should probably meet in the entrance hall around…"

"Eight thirty sounds good," she said hastily. "I kinda want to be fashionably late."

"Oh, I see," he chuckled. "Sure thing, then. See you!"

"Okay, bye."

With that settled, Kylie strode back to the common room, feeling much more content. Strangely enough, though, a new feeling of anxiety arose within her, and she found herself nervously anticipating and dreading the upcoming party at the same time.

XXX

A/N: Just so you know, Circe Billancourt was inspired, somewhat, by the character of Regina from the movie "Mean Girls". ) When I first saw the movie the idea for Circe planted itself in my mind, and I just had to put her in the story. (if any of you haven't seen that movie you should go see it – it's cute and actually really amusing to watch).

Also, Evan Rosier is actually a canon character, in case you didn't know (or didn't remember). Just read that chapter "Padfoot Returns" in GOF where Harry, Ron and Hermione meet with Sirius in the cave near Hogsmeade, cuz that's where he mentions Rosier. (you'll notice Wilkes is also a canon character who I've also used, but made into a girl named Pascale – I dunno if Wilkes is a guy or a girl yet, since JKR has only specified Rosier's first name to be Evan and said nothing about Wilkes, so I took some liberties there ).

p.s. If any of you are interested in some 'foreshadowing' for this story… check out the Harry Potter Lexicon website and look for Rosier in their "Who's Who in the Wizarding World" section. There's some info about the name "Rosier" that is kinda interesting, and also part of the reason why I chose to use this canon character in my fanfic - it should also give you some clue as to what will happen later on… if you haven't guessed it already.

Please review! I love reviews! They always make my day, especially when they're positive ones.


	8. The Mysterious Hottie

XXX

**Chapter Eight: The "Mysterious Hottie" **

With the masquerade only a few days away, it was the only thing on everyone's minds. Rumors circulated wildly throughout the school about who was going with who or who was wearing what. Most of the gossip was about Circe and Sirius, apparently the most interesting couple amongst the upperclassmen. The two of them were seen together a lot over the first few days of the week, much to Kylie's chagrin. The Brooks twins were in an uproar about it; incensed that Circe would dare go after one of 'their guys' and were complaining about it to anyone they spoke to. Even Paris Stone had seemingly forgiven Circe, and was always in her company as if they were the best of friends. ("She's probably too scared of her to be her enemy," was Kimmie's smirking comment. "She'd be risking her own social standing by going against her, because Circe's the popular one now.")

Even with all the excitement going on, none of the teachers were going easy on them. They still had loads of homework to do and plenty of tests to study for. N.E.W.T students never seemed to get a break from work, even when there was a once in a lifetime party coming up.

Kylie found herself sitting in her dormitory Saturday afternoon with all the dress robes she owned laid out on her bed beside her. She'd come back early from lunch when she'd realized how discontent she was with the outfit she'd picked out to wear to the masquerade. It was a nice enough gown… but it was just so _boring_. Even the mask she had was boring. No fancy markings, feathers, beads, or anything! It was the dowdiest thing she'd ever seen.

For some reason she couldn't really fathom, Kylie was determined to look really good for this party. She wanted to be _glamorous_ for once, not dull and gray like her dress. But she had no idea how to go about becoming eye-catching and snazzy, especially with the party less than a few hours away.

_Why do I always wait to the last minute about everything? It's really such a bad habit to have._

Just then the door opened. Kylie looked up to see Ocean, Opal and Mallory waltz in, the three of them once again in the same huffy mood they'd been in all week, likely talking about how much they loathed Circe Billancourt. They stopped when they saw her.

"Hi Kylie," greeted the twins as the three of them walked into the room and shut the door.

"Whatcha doing up here by yourself?" asked Mallory.

Kylie took a deep breath. _Oh well, it's worth a shot. Now's the time for drastic action._

"Um, you guys? Could you help me with something?" she asked tentatively as she stood up.

"Sure," replied the twins. "What do you need?"

"I… kinda don't know what to wear tonight…"

Instantly, their three faces lit up and they all started talking excitedly at once.

"Oh my god, oh my god!" cried Mallory. "Are you asking us for a… _makeover?_"

"A makeover? Not exactly, I mean-" stammered Kylie, taken aback.

"_Of course_ we'll give you a makeover!" cried Ocean.

"We've been waiting for you to ask us that_ forever!_" cried Opal, unable to contain her excitement.

"You are like the _perfect_ candidate for a makeover!" added Ocean.

"Wha...?" stammered Kylie. "Me...?"

"Of course!" assured Mallory.

Opal and Ocean were suddenly upon her, dragging her over to their vanity table and pushing her to sit down in front of it.

"Just you wait, Kylie, we're gonna make you so hot no one will even _recognize_ you!" cried Mallory, who was already grabbing her make-up kit.

"We even have the perfect dress for you to wear!" said Ocean. "We have plenty to spare!"

"Okay, first things first," said Opal. "These glasses are an absolute no-no!"

"My glasses? Why?"

"Duh! They hide your eyes! You have such pretty eyes, Kylie, except no one can see them. All they see is your glasses!" she replied. She took them off of Kylie's head. "Can you see well enough without them?"

"Er… Yes, my vision isn't… so bad. The glasses were just for seeing the board in classes," explained Kylie uncertainly. "But is all this really necess-?"

"Good!" stated Ocean, cutting her off. "We don't have time today, but after tonight you need to get that magical operation done that'll give you perfect sight. You're family's rich, aren't they? So you can definitely afford it. Or at least get those Muggle things… what are they called again?"

"I think they're called contacts," answered Mallory.

"Yes, that's right! Contacts or the professional sight-curing spell. Either one of those are _essential_ for your makeover," said Ocean. "Now then, on to… your hair!"

"Oooh!" cried Mallory, clasping her hands together.

"You have such great hair, Kylie!" complemented Opal. "Except you're always tying it up! Buns and ponytails everyday! You have to let it live a little!"

She pulled Kylie's hair loose from its ponytail and began brushing it. "I'm certain that with just a _little_ bit of styling, it would look perfect. Your hair is such a glossy black! Like satin, you know."

"Oh… thanks…?" muttered Kylie, gazing awkwardly into the mirror.

"You have completely straight hair, but I think for tonight we should tease it into flowy, curly waves, don't ya think?" asked Mallory. "For a little more flair?"

"Definitely," said the twins simultaneously.

"Now then, Kylie. You should go and take a quick shower so that we can do your hair perfectly," said Mallory. She stuffed two bottles into her hands. "Use Sleakeazy's Hair Potion. Trust us, it's the _best_ brand ever!"

"Yeah! We got it from Madam Aurora's apothecary in Diagon Alley. She is the ultimate authority on beauty products!"

"While you're doing that we'll pick out your dress. And then you should have a quick facial to exfoliate your skin. Oh, and we'll be needing to pluck those eyebrows of yours, too," said Opal.

"And take this body wash here! It'll make you smell like roses! And the fragrance lasts as long as you want it to!" cried Ocean, grabbing another bottle from her own kit and handing it to her. "It's another specialty of Madam Aurora."

Kylie didn't even have time to say thank you because suddenly she was ushered into their dormitory bathroom and the door closed behind her.

As she started up the shower and waited for the warm water to come, she sighed, feeling somewhat overwhelmed. _What have I gotten myself into?_

Almost immediately after that thought, an image of Circe came to mind, looking as stunning as a Muggle celebrity on Oscar night, dancing with Sirius. She closed her eyes with determination. _What am I saying? This is a perfect idea!_

XXX

Nearly two and a half hours later, Kylie stood in front of the bathroom mirror, staring in awe at her reflection. She hardly recognized herself at all! The girl staring back at her from the mirror looked daring, exciting and alluring all at the same time, traits that the old Kylie definitely hadn't had (at least not on the outside). She turned from side to side, feeling awkward in the boldly revealing dress the girls had picked out for her. A part of her still thought the dress was _too_ revealing, but they'd insisted for fifteen straight minutes until Kylie had finally given in and agreed to wear it.

As she stood there, still feeling slightly uncomfortable about the whole affair, Kylie unwittingly started chewing her fingernails.

"Kylie!" gasped Mallory, quickly smacking her hand away. "We just manicured those!"

"Oh, sorry…"

Opal hummed to herself as she activated a hair-styling charm with her wand, watching intently as she decided on exactly how to twist up her platinum tresses. She couldn't seem to make up her mind, though, as the style kept shifting back and forth from very curly, slightly curly, completely straight, wavy, and back to curly again.

The door opened and Ocean waltzed in, already ready to go.

"Alright," she said.

"I just talked to Lily, Kimmie and Taren. They were wondering where you've been all this time so I told them you'd meet them at the party."

"Excellent! Kylie, when you walk in with your date no one's going to know who you are! You'll be the mysterious hottie!" exclaimed Opal, quivering with anticipation. She'd finally settled on a wavyish French twist for her hair.

"You look _sooo_ good, Kylie! That dress suits you so well!" said Mallory.

"Yeah, I always knew you could look great if you had the right outfits. Before you've always dressed so prim and proper. Once we order a brand new wardrobe for you you're going to look _fabulous_ everyday!" said Opal.

"I can't wait to see the look on Circe's face when _you_ become the belle of the ball and not her," sighed Mallory dreamily.

"'Belle of the ball'? That's laughable," muttered Kylie, shaking her head dismissively.

"Hush, Kylie!" gasped Ocean. "Remember, a true makeover isn't just skin deep! You must become confident and _feel_ as glamorous as you look!"

"That's right!" agreed Mallory and Opal.

Kylie smiled benignly, not really believing them. "Uh, thanks you guys. I didn't really… expect this. It means a lot to me."

"It was our pleasure!" said Mallory happily.

"Makeovers are our specialty," said the twins.

As they made their way down to the common room they slipped on their half-masks (that covered only their foreheads, eyes, and noses) and their coats or jackets that matched their outfits. Several younger students stared at the four of them as they walked by, envy on their faces.  
"Oh I wish _I_ could go…" sighed one of them wistfully.

"It's not fair!" agreed another.

Kylie took several deep breaths as they headed down to the entrance hall where their dates were waiting. Already she could feel butterflies in her stomach, and her legs felt like they were made of lead. Was it this makeover that made her feel so nervous?_ I hope I don't look as stupid as I feel..._

XXX

The Halloween masquerade was in full swing at the Hogsmeade fest hall by the time the first guests began to arrive. There were several candlelit tables situated all around the huge, circular room with space in the middle as the dance floor. The stage was set up for _Shade_ to perform later in the night. For now some music from the WWN was being magically played somehow from an unseen source (since speakers and DJs were a completely Muggle thing anyway).

Artfully carved pumpkins with bright lights inside floated about above the students' heads, which appeared to be the only visible light source. There was just the right amount of lighting, not too bright or too dim, and it was already very loud and crowded. Everywhere students were dressed up in various creative ways as witches, ghosts, vampires, pirates, animals, and occasionally famous wizards or witches, each of them wearing different kinds of masks, too.

Kimmie and Taren were both standing at the edge of the floor watching the dancers. They're dates, Casey Shipley and Devon Hendricks, both Hufflepuffs, had hurried off to get drinks from the bar.

"_Where is Kylie_?" asked Kimmie for probably the fiftieth time. She was dressed up in bright colors as a belly dancer, unashamedly flaunting her bare abdomen.

"I'm sure she'll be here soon," said Taren. She had gone with a far more modest look, wearing an elegant flowing dress in earthy green and brown colors, dressed up as the druidess Cliodna. "You know, I still can't believe you're wearing that."

"What?" stated Kimmie with a grin. "My _costume_ is perfect. I did say I wanted to be as slutty as possible."

"_Why?_" asked Taren, looking very perturbed.

"Because tonight I can get away with it, remember?"

Taren shook her head with a laugh. "Oh, here come our dates."

Casey, dressed as Gregory the Smarmy, and Devon, dressed up as a member of the Puddlemere United Quidditch team, arrived bearing bottles of butterbeer for each of them.

"Have you seen what that Billancourt girl has on?" asked Casey, handing Kimmie her butterbeer glass.

"Hmm, let me guess… not much?" she asked with a grin.

"Uh-huh," he replied with a nod, chuckling.

"We saw her just now at the bar," said Devon, giving Taren her drink. "She said she's supposed to be Helen of Troy or something."

"What?" gasped the simultaneous voices of the Brooks twins as they walked up seemingly out of nowhere with Mallory, each of them escorted by their dates who couldn't be recognized through their costumes. The three blondes were all dressed up as fairies, complete with gossamer wings and fairy wands, except each of them had a different colored sparkly lacy dress (one was in light pink, another in baby blue, and the other in pale yellow). They all looked very pretty, indeed.

"Did you just say Circe came as 'Helen of Troy'?" asked Mallory in disbelief.

"Who does she think she is?" said the twin wearing blue (there was no way of telling them apart with masks on).

"Ugh, that girl is so full of herself!" snapped the other twin wearing pink.

"So, where's Kylie anyway?" asked Taren.

"Don't worry, she'll be here," said Mallory. Each of their scowls disappeared at the thought of Kylie.

"We performed a miracle tonight, you guys," said the blue twin happily. "Just wait until you see her!"

Kimmie and Taren exchanged looks.

"Hey, what's up," greeted the familiar voice of James, who walked up to them accompanied by Sheherezade, Remus with his date Gwendolen Hutchinson, one of the fifth year Hufflepuff prefects, and Peter, who didn't seem to have a date at all. James was dressed up as Godric Gryffindor and Sheherezade as Rowena Ravenclaw. Remus appeared to be dressed up as the famous Giant-slayer Gifford Ollerton, and Gwendolen as one of the disguises of Wendelin the Weird. Peter was dressed as Uric the Oddball, looking rather silly with his jellyfish hat.

"Hey, you guys look great," commented Kimmie with a grin.

"Why thank you," James replied smoothly. He barely hesitated before saying, "So… where's Lily?"

Sheherezade's face tightened, but she still managed to maintain her bright smile.

Kimmie smiled mischievously. "Oh, haven't you seen her yet? She's out on the dance floor. In the flashy Celestina Warbeck costume."

"By herself?" he asked with confusion.

"Don't be silly. She's with her _date_, of course," said Kimmie cheerfully. "Wesley Kent."

"_Wesley Kent_ is Lily's _date_?" James repeated slowly, as if it was the most preposterous thing he'd ever heard. He even smiled, as if it were a joke.

Kimmie nodded, saying as casually as possible, "Yup. He's kinda like… her boyfriend, you know."

James' smile disappeared instantly. "Zade, let's go dancing, shall we?"

Without waiting for an answer he strode determinedly onto the dance floor, and Sheherezade had to hurry after him to keep up.

Everyone started chuckling.

"Oh dear, Kimmie, did you have to tell him that?" asked Taren. "What if they get into a fight?"

"Nah, James wouldn't do that. He's got too much class," said Remus.

"Since when has James been a classy guy?" asked Casey with puzzlement.

Remus smiled. "Just recently, I assure you. I think he's learned that getting into a fight, whether magical or just plain fist fighting, isn't going to win Lily over."

"Is he trying to reform himself or something?" asked Taren with surprise.

"Something like that."

"Aww, that's so adorable!" cried the twins.

"He must really be in love with her!" said Mallory dreamily.

"Uh, yeah, whatever," said Kimmie, barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Taren giggled.

XXX

"I'm having such a great time, Sirius," said Circe, entwining her arms around his neck and gazing up into his eyes as they danced to the slow, romantic tune playing through the hall.

"Of course you are," he replied with a grin. "You're with me, aren't you?"

She giggled. "You're so funny, Sirius!"

"I know… I know," he said confidently. He cut quite an impressive figure dressed up as Count Vlad Drakul, the notorious vampire that had inspired the Muggle story of "Count Dracula", in mostly black with a long flowing cape. He knew perfectly well he was one of the best looking guys in the room, as usual, and was enjoying every minute of it. Circe didn't look too bad herself in her fancy get-up.

As the song came to an end Circe linked her arm around his. "Let's go get something to drink. I'm tired of dancing right now."

"Sure thing," he said agreeably. He was never one to like dancing, and only did it when he was with a girl who happened to enjoy it.

They walked off the dance floor to the bar where they found James and Sheherezade. James was sitting with his back to the bar and watching the dancers with narrowed eyes, completely ignoring a sulky looking Sheherezade. Toby and several other students were there as well, including Joey Hendricks and Daniel Redfern, both seventh years from the Hufflepuff Quidditch team whom they were friends with.

"Two butterbeers, please," Sirius said to the bartender as Circe sat down daintily on one of the bar stools. Antoinette Marceau and Fredrica Belrose, two fellow Ravenclaws, were already there and immediately started complementing her on her costume.

"Something bothering you, Prongs?" asked Sirius.

James scowled. "Yeah. You could say that."

"Just look over there," said Joey with a smirk, pointing at a couple on the dance floor. Sirius spotted the girl's red hair and recognized them instantly.

"Evans is here with the Head boy?" he asked out loud. "Interesting."

"Apparently he's her 'boyfriend'," said James tightly, scowling even more. "And I'm only hearing about this now."

"Don't go doing anything stupid, Prongs," said Sirius. "It'll only piss her off more."

"I know," he grumbled. "That's what sucks."

Sheherezade sighed, clearly very annoyed that she'd been forgotten already. "I'm gonna go find my friends. See you." James didn't seem to notice as she stood up and left, his attention still focused entirely on Lily.

"What am I suppose to do about this?" muttered James angrily. "If I can't hex the guy how I am supposed to get him away from her?"

"That's easy. Just make yourself better in comparison to him, and soon she'll come along," answered Sirius simply. "Oh yeah, and you and I could always viciously beat his team in Quidditch to get back at him."

James smirked. "That _is_ true."

"Whoa… who's _she_?" gasped Toby suddenly.

"Who?" they all asked.

"The red cat," he said.

He nodded towards the hall's entrance not very far away where a tall, dark haired guy who appeared to be dressed up as Salazar Slytherin had walked in. On his arm was a slender girl dressed in a slinky, strappy red dress robes that teasingly left very little for the imagination with a low, sweeping neckline and a very short skirt. The girl herself had a semi-dark complexion, glossy black wavyish-curly hair spilling about her shoulders and a sparkly red mask with pointed cat ears and catlike features that managed to hide her identity.

All in all, she was absolutely stunning. More than a few heads turned to stare as she walked by on laced up red stiletto heels.

"Damn, she's… hot," uttered Joey.

"Anybody know who she is? I don't recognize her at all…" said Daniel.

"Maybe she doesn't even go to Hogwarts," suggested James offhandedly, who still only had eyes for Lily dancing on the floor.

"No… there's something familiar about her…" said Sirius. "I think I've seen her before somewhere."

Circe scoffed disdainfully, looking a little uneasy with their current conversation. "Ugh, _look_ at that dress. She practically painted it on."

"That doesn't bother me at all," smirked Joey.

"Nope, me neither," agreed Daniel with a grin.

Circe's face grew sullen. "Well, I think it's very vulgar, don't you agree, Sirius?"

Sirius was too busy staring at the girl to pay attention. Where had he seen her before? He prided himself on knowing just about every upperclassman in the school, particularly the dazzling female half. Surely he would have remembered someone like her!

"Sirius!" cried Circe, briefly losing her composure.

"What?"

"_I'm_ your date, remember?" she asked, barely hiding her frustration.

"Yeah, course," he replied, eyes straying once more to the girl in the red dress. Toby and James snickered.

Circe glowered even more heavily, suddenly standing from her seat. "Sirius, let's go. I wanna dance some more."

Sirius merely nodded and led the way, mostly because he was hoping for a closer look at the other girl. He _had_ to know who she was!

XXX

Kylie beamed as her friends spotted her, hurrying over to where they were standing as fast as her heels permitted.

"Wow, Kylie!" cried Kimmie and Taren.

"You look amazing!" said Lily.

Kylie grinned, bashfully averting her eyes to the floor, awkwardly adjusting her skirt. "Thanks... You guys look great, too! And this is all due to the efforts of you three," she said, nodding towards Mallory and the twins.

"No!" gasped Mallory with a giggle.

"Yeah, all we did was _uncover _your hotness," insisted Opal.

"It's been there all along, you know," added Ocean cheerfully.

Kylie shrugged. "Whatever you say," she said with an offhand laugh, idly twiddling her fingers.

"Where's Evan?" asked Taren curiously.

"He just went to say hi to his friends, I think," Kylie replied distractedly. "He said he'd meet me over here."

"Hey, look! They're finally starting!" cried Kimmie excitedly.

They all looked around just in time to hear the music stop and to see the lights on the stage brighten intensely. A voice boomed over unseen speakers.

"Ladies and gentlemen of Hogwarts! Shall we get this masque really started? Give a warm welcome to your entertainers for the evening… _SHADE!_"

The audience erupted into claps and roars of approval as the artfully punk-dressed band arrived on stage and immediately struck up a fast-paced, energetic tune that sent throngs of students onto the dance floor.

"Let's go!" squealed Kimmie, grabbing Casey's hand and dragging him into the midst of the crowd. Lily, Wesley, Taren, Devon, Opal, Ocean, Mallory, and their dates all followed quickly after.

"Shall we dance?" asked Evan suddenly.

Kylie almost jumped, not expecting him to appear right behind her.

"Of course!" she laughed, slightly nervous. _How am I supposed to dance in these ridiculous shoes?_

They made their way through the crowd until they found the others, all laughing and dancing about enthusiastically in rhythm with the pounding music.

Before she knew it Kylie was joining them, letting loose and trying to have a good time. Dancing was not really her thing, especially when she was wearing uncomfortably high heels, but at least it managed to take her mind off everything else. Besides, it was fun just being there, being young and frolicking freely with her best friends. She could at least try to get used to this!

Abruptly, the song ended, and Kylie swayed, feeling slightly dizzy as the band started playing a much slower, mournful tune.

"You guys are an amazing audience! This is one here goes out to all those young couples here tonight!" called the lead singer from his magically enhanced microphone. As he started singing everyone on the floor with dates paired off for the more intimate slow dance.

Kylie was ready to take a break, her head already resounding with a dull, throbbing ache from the too loud music. Before she could get away from the floor, however, Evan had already pulled her into his arms and was swaying with the song.

"You look really beautiful tonight, Kylie," he said, smiling down at her.

"Er, thanks." She smiled hesitantly, feeling a little uncomfortable being in such close proximity with him. She avoided his eyes, nervously gazing about at the couples around her instead of at him.

"Who would've thought a mere school dance could be so romantic?" he asked with a low chuckle.

"Uh… yeah, it's very… romantic," she replied, swallowing. Her mouth suddenly felt very dry.

Many couples around them seemed to be moving closer together – some even becoming wrapped up in ardent embraces. With growing unease, Kylie felt Evan's hands moving slowly but surely lower and lower down her back.

_What's going on?_ She asked herself, slightly panicked. _Since when is he allowed to do that?_

"Kylie…" he murmured. She glanced at him and very nearly gasped out loud when he began lowering his face towards hers, eyes closed… He was going to kiss her!

For a moment Kylie froze, head running rampant with debating thoughts.

At the very last second she made up her mind, turning her face away, and thus Evan's lips pressed against her cheek instead.

"What's wrong?" he asked after a moment. "I thought you…"

"It's gotten rather warm in here, hasn't it?" she blurted out. "I'm just going to get some air."

With that she pulled away and dashed off, veering in out of dancing students and trying to ignore the waves of nausea that had arisen from a fresh new migraine. She closed her eyes, rubbing her temple wearily, when her shoulders suddenly bumped into someone.

"Watch where you're going!" the girl snapped. It was Circe.

_Oh, wonderful…_ she thought, nearly groaning out loud.

"Sorry," Kylie grumbled.

"Hey, are you alright?" asked another concerned voice.

Kylie eyes darted towards the tall masked and caped guy next to Circe, instantly knowing who he was.

"Sirius, right," she said coolly, straightening up. "I'm just fine."

"… _Kylie?_" he stammered, doing a double take. "Is that _you?_" He looked utterly nonplussed.

"Who d'you think it was?"

He gaped at her, at a complete loss for words. She might have found it amusing had her head not felt like it was splitting open.

"Oh my god, you mean _that _little nerdy girl?" gasped Circe. Her lips curved into a mocking smile as her scathing eyes looked her briefly up and down. "Nice dress."

Kylie's only response was to smile wryly. She shook her head with a sigh, sending Sirius one last appraising glance before turning to leave.

"Wait a minute, Kylie!" he called.

She ignored him and continued determinedly on her way, desperate to get out of the stifling room as fast as possible. He made as if to go after her, except Circe grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Sirius! What are you doing?" she asked perplexedly. "The song hasn't finished yet."

"Well, for me it has," Sirius replied hastily.

He then slipped out of her grasp and pushed his way through the assemblage, searching to see where Kylie had gone. She'd already disappeared into the crowd with no sign of her anywhere.

At the edge of the dance floor he stood, using his tall height to try and spot her, but it was to no avail. _Come on, where could she have run off to so quickly?_

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye he saw her, passing through an arched doorway and out of sight once more. Before he could hurry after her, though, someone stepped in his way.

"Evening, Black." It was the guy who'd arrived with Kylie, except Sirius suddenly knew who he was.

"Rosier," he said stiffly, hand instinctively closing on his wand concealed in his pocket. "What the hell do _you_ want?"

"Nothing, really," the Slytherin replied lightly, eyes narrowing behind his gilded mask. "Just came to give you a warning."

He smirked. "Did you, now? And what warning might that be?"

"To stay away from Kylie Hart."

"_Excuse me_?"

"You heard me. She's mine," Evan said firmly. He flashed a jeering grin. "I don't want some punk like you messing around with my business."

"You've got a lot of nerve, Rosier," Sirius uttered through gritted teeth.

Evan sneered derisively. "Whatever, Black. You'd better do as I say. Unless you wanna deal with the consequences. Someone could get hurt, you know."

With that final cryptic remark, Evan strode on past Sirius, merging with the crowd.

"Tch, _jackass_," Sirius cursed, not intimidated in the slightest. He continued on his way to the doorway where'd seen Kylie leave, wondering with annoyance what was going on. _Since when was Kylie involved with that sleazy bastard? _

The doorway turned out to lead to a back exit out of the building, and soon Sirius emerged onto the Hogsmeade street outside. Kylie was leaning against the wall of the building. She'd removed her mask.

"Kylie!" he said, approaching her in a few swift strides.

"Why are _you_ out here?" she asked with blank surprise.

He paused. Why_ was _he out here, anyway? When she'd run off after he'd only just recognized her then… it had merely seemed like a good idea at the time to run after her.

"I was going to ask you the same thing," he said, recovering his composure quickly.

"I came out for some air," she replied after a moment's hesitation. "I didn't feel well."

"Kylie…" he said slowly. "What the hell are you doing with _Rosier_?"

"How is it any concern of yours?" she retorted fiercely.

"Of course I'm _concerned!_ He's one of the Fanatics!" he shot back.

"No he's not! Evan's completely different from the other Slytherins."

Sirius scoffed. "Is that what he's been telling you?"

Her eyes flashed dangerously. "Don't be absurd…"

"The guy's twisted, Kylie. One of the worst of the whole bunch. He was practically calling you his personal property back in there when he spoke to me."

"He wouldn't say something like that!"

"Well, he _did_, Kylie! Clearly, you've never met the _real_ Rosier."

That comment seemed to hit a nerve.

"Oh yeah, Sirius? I could say the same thing about you and that… that _slattern_ inside!"

"What? You mean Circe?"

"She's no better than any of _them_! But there you are… _r-romancing_ her like it's no big deal at all!"

He stared at her, bewildered for the briefest of moments. "Kylie… are you jealous or something?"

She froze, eyes very wide. "Certainly _not_!" she cried disdainfully, whirling around so he couldn't see her face.

He couldn't help it. He grinned. "You are, aren't you?" he asked, stepping around in front of her, catching sight of the tell-tale flush staining her cheeks.

"Newsflash, Sirius! Not every girl in the world is infatuated with you!"

"Only because I haven't met them all," he replied.

He chuckled at the expression that prompted as she fumbled for words. The moonlight illuminated her face, reflecting off her hazel eyes and glossy hair, setting off her exotic features to the best advantage. Sirius found himself marveling that he'd never noticed just how gorgeous she was after all these years.

Kylie had always been the squeaky-clean, no-nonsense, self-righteous, scrawny and very prissy bookworm like all her friends, the kind of girl he'd never consider as anything more than a friend or acquaintance. But now, out of nowhere, she'd somehow blossomed into this beauty standing before him. He remembered that the same sort of thing had happened to Lily two years earlier to catch James' eye. One had to assume that Kylie had just been a late bloomer… or perhaps a beautiful girl had been hiding behind those dowdy clothes and glasses all these years?

One thing was for certain, though: he could never look at her the same way again. _Nor will any other guy in the school, I'm sure_, he thought with a mental smirk.

A gust of wind chose that moment to rush by, fluttering wildly through her ebony tresses and billowing his cape all about him. She hugged herself, shivering. Without hesitation (and without really thinking about it) he took off his cape and put it around her shoulders.

She looked from the cape and back to him again, taken aback. "Sirius, what…?" she began, puzzled.

"It's the gentlemanly thing to do," he said simply with a shrug. "Unless you'd rather stay cold?"

Confounded, she gazed at him as if not quite sure what to think. She opened her mouth, intending to speak, when suddenly the door burst open.

"_There_ you are!" cried Circe, running to Sirius' side. "Where've you been? I was getting lonely in there!" Only then did she notice Kylie standing there. "Oh, _you_ again. What's going on out here?"

"Nothing at all," said Kylie with a frown, shrugging off the cape and handing it back to Sirius. "I was just leaving."

She slipped on her mask and went back inside the building, leaving the two standing there by the street. Sirius watched her go and pulled his cape back on, a contemplative smile upon his face.

It occurred to him that his relationship with Kylie Hart had suddenly taken a rather _interesting_ turn.

XXX


	9. Awkward

Praise be, Minxie has updated!

Ahem, yes, please forgive me for the long wait, readers. I've been distracted by all kinds of other stuff going on in my life, like college applications, graduating high school, preparing for college, etcetera etcetera, and so I put this fic on hold for a… long while. But the guilt at leaving my story hanging like that finally got to me, and I churned out this chapter here.

Enjoy:)

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Awkward...**

It wasn't difficult for Kylie to find her friends once she was back inside the fest hall. James and Lily's voices were clearly discernible, which was quite an extraordinary feat, considering how much of a racket the music was making in the background.

"So where's your _boyfriend_, Evans?" asked James with a sly smile. "Scared him off, have you?"

_Here we go again_, thought Kylie, making her way over to where James stood next to Lily, who was leaning against one of the pillars lining the dance floor.

"For your information, _Potter_, he's just gone to get refills for my drink," retorted Lily testily, obviously trying her best to keep her temper in check, which seemed so easily fired up these days (usually whenever James happened to be around). "He's bound to be back here any moment now, so I suggest you _scamper_ before he does."

"Or what? He'll put me in detention?"

"No!" she snarled. "But _I'll_ hex you so hard you won't even be recognizable! Don't you dare lay a wand on him, Potter!"

"Aw, don't tell me your darling Head Boy needs his 'girlfriend' to look after him," sighed James with a shake of his head. "He's more gutless than I thought."

"Wes could take you on _any_ day," she said haughtily, folding her arms and staring him down.

His jaw had tightened a bit at hearing her use of Wesley's nickname. "I'd like to see him try," he jeered.

She smirked. "Yeah, but he'd never stoop so low. He's mature enough to realize a wizard's _duel_ isn't the answer to everything."

"Oh, right. In other words, he's a wimp."

"Wes is sweet, kindhearted, sensitive, compassionate and sensible! That _does not_ make him a wi_-_"

"'Compassionate'? '_Sensitive_'?" he repeated with an incredulous look, interrupting her. "Are you sure he's even a male at all?"

"That's ridiculous! Of course he is!"

"Evans, Evans," he sighed dramatically. "When will you finally understand that _I'm_ the only man who's '_man' _enough for you?"

She snorted derisively.

"Come now, Evans, just admit it," he said, grinning. "Everyone knows that it's _me_ you really want, not pretty boy Kent."

"_Look_, Potter," she stated firmly, speaking slowly and clearly. "I like Wes, _not you_. I chose _him_, and I'm staying with _him_. I don't want to be with _you_. I want _nothing… to… do… with… you. _Get that through your thick skull already!"

"We both know you don't mean that," he said soothingly, as a parent might to a particularly obstinate child.

"Just _accept_ it Potter. I could never be with someone who's as bullying and conceited as you!" she uttered furiously, cheeks flushed quite brilliantly now. "If you don't like it, that's too bad! So you can just cry me a river, build a bridge, and _get over it!_"

And with that, she turned on her heel and stormed off, crimson tresses flaring about behind her.

James sighed again, letting out a very disgruntled, "_Women_!" as he did.

"Don't worry, James," said Kylie suddenly. "She'll come around."

He glanced up in surprise, only just noticing her standing there. "Oh, hi… Kylie. Wait, are you serious?"

She shrugged absently. "Well, yeah. It's kind of occurred to me after all these years that Lily _does_ like you… in a way. I mean, no one in this school is capable of riling her up the way you can. And she talks about you all the time. Well, more like complains, but still…"

He chortled. "Not to be rude, or anything, but I don't see how this helps me.

"Of course it does!" she replied with a smile. "Think about it, James. Lily is remarkably controlled and calm, the kind of person who never loses her temper. Except with _you_. She's never even once lost it with the Fanatics, even when they're calling her horrible names and being unforgivably obnoxious. She keeps her cool and just ignores them. With you, it's a different story. She can't ignore you, James, because she likes you, whether she _likes_ it or not. And that makes her furious, because she doesn't _want_ to like you, but can't help it. So all she can do is deny it, and take out all that emotion on you, doing her best to pretend that she doesn't like you at all. It's quite simple, really."

He said nothing for a second, blinking at her lengthy explanation.

"Erm… simple? If you say so," he said, shrugging. He folded his arms. "Well, if what you say is true, Kylie, care to divulge _why_ she refuses to admit how she feels? Because I'm at my wits end trying to figure that out."

"I would have thought that were obvious, James," she answered, raising a brow. "She's only told you a million times already."

"Oh… that I'm 'bullying and conceited'?"

"By Merlin, he's got it!"

"Your sarcasm is very helpful," he muttered facetiously. "Now then, tell me this. If she thinks I'm such a horrible person then why does she secretly fancy me, eh?"

"Oh I dunno," she said thoughtfully. "Maybe because she knows you're not _always _acting like a great big stupid prat. You have your good attributes, though you don't show them very often, but Lily knows they're there, all the same. She sees the good in everyone, even when that person can't see it in themselves… Sometimes, though, you just like a person, and it can't be explained. You just do, and that's that."

"I see," he replied, grinning at this prospect. "So how do you propose that I get her to stop pretending, already?"

"Like I said before. She'll come around eventually. Just give her some space and be patient," she explained. "She's only waiting for you to grow up a bit."

"You know, that's what Remus always says," he sighed.

"Well, he's right. You should always listen to what Remus says, which is a good rule for life in general. He knows what he's talking about," replied Kylie with a smile.

"Yes, he most certainly does," he said. "Well, thank you very much, oh wise Kylie. Your advice this evening has been quite… illuminating."

"So… do try to heed it, then?" she asked with a pleading look. "For starters, you could try to refrain from hexing any unfortunate individual that annoys you. Particularly Snape."

"What? _Snivellus_? You mean I can't hex _him_?"

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, if that's too _difficult_ for you, at least curse him when she's not around to see it. Trust me, she's not impressed when she's sees you bullying him around."

He snorted. "Yeah, well, he deserves it."

"Think about it, James. What do you think Lily's trying to tell you by dating Wesley Kent? Remember what she just told you about him not too long ago?"

He raised a brow. "You mean the rubbish about him being 'sensitive' and 'compassionate'?"

"Yes, that 'rubbish'. She's showing you that that's the kind of guy she wants to be with – a guy she can respect, admire. If you can be mature and responsible, and show more consideration for other people's feelings once in a while, I'm certain that she'll finally give you the chance you've been waiting for."

"I'll keep that in mind," he stated sourly. "Though I'm not so sure I like the idea of sacrificing my dignity by becoming prissy and effeminate like Kent."

For a moment neither of them spoke, with only the music and chatter of the crowd around them to hear.

"The things I do for love," he sighed, shaking his head before grudgingly adding, "Thanks."

"Don't mention it. See? You're being sincere and polite! Keep up the good work, James!"

"Don't rub it in," he muttered with a smirk. "But hey, do you think you could put in a good word or too for me? She listens to you and trusts you, after all."

"Sorry, but no," she replied lightly, eyes sparkling. "Somehow I don't think Lily would appreciate me trying to play matchmaker here – I've already said too much, anyway. You're on your own with this."

"Hey you guys!" greeted a slightly out of breath voice.

It was Kimmie, who had emerged from the crowd with Casey, Remus, Taren, Devon and Gwendolen, trailed by Peter. They were all beaming and a bit red in the face from dancing.

"What's up?" asked Remus.

"Nothing much," replied James sourly.

"And you seem to have misplaced Miss Ravenclaw," noted Kimmie, eyebrows raised.

"Ah well, it never would have worked out between us," he said airily. "We've decided to start seeing other people."

"I see," she replied with a smirk. "Perfectly understandable."

"We just saw Lily," spoke up Gwendolen in her gentle voice, looking concerned. "She seemed thoroughly put out about something… You weren't harassing her again, were you?"

James scowled at that. "I've never '_harassed_' her! What makes you think I was 'harassing' her?"

"Oh never mind," sighed Gwendolen resignedly, exchanging an amused glance with Kimmie and Kylie.

"You know, I haven't seen Sirius around all evening," said Remus suddenly, looking curious. "Where is he?"

"Probably snogging his wonderful '_Helen' _somewhere," muttered Kylie darkly.

"Nope! He's right behind you," squeaked Peter cheerfully.

"What?" she blurted out, instantly seized by a bout of panic. She whirled around and received quite a shock when she found herself face to face with Sirius – well, more like faced directly with his chest, since he was a head taller than her. She quickly took a step back from him.

"Hello Kylie," he said smoothly, sounding highly amused.

"Hey Sirius," greeted Kimmie genially, saving Kylie the need to reply. "And… to you too, Circe."

Standing close beside Sirius, Circe smiled graciously, as was her wont, to acknowledge Kimmie, though her eyes were contemptuous as she fixed them on Kylie. Kylie stared just as determinedly back, glad for the excuse to not look at Sirius.

There was a brief but rather awkward moment where no one spoke. Circe's intruding presence seemed to have brought about a great deal of icy tension amongst them. The only ones who didn't seem bothered by it were James (who was too busy brooding over Lily) and Sirius, who was eyeing Kylie in an appraising sort of way, his mouth shifting into a curving smile.

Casey let out an uneasy cough. "Uh, so, Kim? There's really no point in staying now that Shade's finished performing. Wanna get out of here?"  
"Oh, sure," replied Kimmie, who seemed just as eager to be away. "Where do you want to go? The Three Broomsticks?"

"Actually," spoke up Circe suddenly, ceasing her stare down with Kylie for the moment. "I know somewhere even better."

"Oh? And where would that be?" asked Casey politely, somewhat taken aback.

"The VIP Lounge. Where the band is hanging out right now," she said smugly. She flipped back her flowing hair and gestured towards the double doors situated discreetly to the right of the stage. A surly looking warlock stood in front of them like a bouncer, glaring sternly at the throngs of teenagers around him as if daring them to approach.

"And how do you expect to get past security?" said Kylie, sounding more curt than she'd intended.

"Well, _obviously_, you'd need _passes_. Like the ones right here," Circe answered with a sly smile, reaching deliberately into her purse and pulling out what appeared to be a handful of back-stage passes. "Daddy arranged everything for me. I'm allowed unrestricted access backstage to meet the band in their luxury lounge… And did I mention I can bring friends as well?"

Kimmie goggled at the passes with undisguised yearning; clearly she wanted them more than anything in her entire life. Gwendolen, Peter and Casey looked impressed. Even James and Sirius looked mildly interested.

"I've got ten in total," added Circe, holding them out. "Anyone care to join me?"

Kimmie's hand darted immediately into the air. "Oh, I do!"

Circe flashed a brilliant smile and started handing them out, finally stopping in front of Kylie. "Oh dear, it seems there's one too few passes for all of us. Terribly sorry…" she said, barely disguising her haughty, positively superior look.

"That's fine," Kylie replied coolly.

"Aw, wait, Kylie," said Kimmie, looking guilty. "If you can't go in then I won't, eith-"

"No, no, I don't mind, Kim. You go and have fun. I was going to take off anyway," Kylie said, shaking her head. "I'll see you later." She turned and left, determinedly not looking at Sirius.

After some searching, Kylie eventually spotted Lily going into the girls' bathroom and hurried after her.

"Lily!" she called as she pushed through the swinging door.

Within the empty bathroom her friend already stood before one of the sink mirrors, huffily rummaging through her purse. She sent an annoyed glance towards the door but her fiery gaze softened when she saw who it was.

"Oh, hi Kylie," she said as Kylie approached. "I thought you were Potter."

"Um, why would James be in the girls' lavatory?"

"You know what he's like," she answered simply, rolling her eyes. "Are you alright? You look flushed…"

"Oh, I… It's just a bit of a headache. I'm not used to live music," Kylie muttered quickly.

"I know what you mean," Lily replied, fussing unnecessarily over her hair in the mirror. "This party's not turning out as 'merry' as I'd hoped."

Kylie smiled. "Not just because of that row you had with Potter a second ago, is it?"

Lily shook her head. "No… It's not just that. It's…"

She paused, her lips pursed as though she was contemplating whether or not to tell Kylie what was bothering her.

"It's… it's silly. Just stupid boy troubles. Nothing important, really," she said finally.

"… Is it something to do with Wesley? Did you guys have a row, also?"

"No! Well… not really. But it's nothing to worry about. Let's just go find the others, shall we? Kimmie and Taren are probably wondering where in the blazes we've run off to…"

"Oh, they're probably in the VIP lounge by now," Kylie said, explaining the passes Circe had. Lily rolled her eyes.

"That's typical, she probably had plenty more of those things and withheld them from you on purpose," she said. "Whatever, I'll just say goodnight to Wes and then we can get out of here."

* * *

First thing after waking up the following morning Kylie took a long, soapy bath in the prefect's bathroom, trying to clear her head. Going to her closet, she let out a dismayed groan upon discovering that Mallory and the twins had apparently replaced all her old clothes with some of their own designer label ones overnight. Her glasses had even disappeared without a trace. 

Having no idea where her old clothes were – she guessed the twins had probably burned them or something – she had no choice but to wear what she'd been given. She threw on the most modest, least revealing outfit she could find, which turned out to be a difficult search, and then made her way down to the common room to find her friends.

"Hey, Kylie!" greeted Kimmie from where she sat in an armchair by a window. "Jeez, where've you been all morning? We've wanted to ask you something."

"About what?" Kylie asked distractedly as she took a seat in the last empty armchair.

"Well, the party, for starters," replied Taren, looking up from the book she was reading. "You seemed really edgy and worked up right before you left. What happened?"

"I told you guys already, Kylie and I just wanted to get out of there. The atmosphere was… stifling," said Lily, still wearing the grumpy look she'd had the night before. "Right Kylie?"

"Yeah… it was really noisy and crowded, and I was tired," said Kylie quickly with a nod. "That's all."

Kimmie leaned forward in her seat and stared at her for a moment, raising an inquiring brow. "Does this, by chance, have anything _remotely_ to do with Sirius Black?"

"Er, no… what on earth gave you that idea?" Kylie asked with a nervous laugh, tryingto shake the question off like it was a joke… and failing abysmally.

"No reason," Kimmie said with an odd look on her face. "It's just that... he was looking for you a little while ago."

"W-what? Why? What does he want?" Kylie stammered, feeling warmth rising in her cheeks and mentally slapping herself for it.

"He didn't say…" Taren answered, looking at her curiously. Even Lily was staring at her now.

"Kylie, is everything alri-"

"Would you look at the time!" Kylie cried suddenly, jumping to her feet. "I'm late for Quidditch practice. I'll catch you guys later!"

With that she dashed off, practically leaping through the portrait doorway, leaving the three girls to stare with mystified expressions after her.

"Did I miss something?" asked Taren, blinking perplexedly. "Why is she acting so… jumpy?"

Kimmie smiled with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "She fancies Sirius."

"_What_?"

"How do you figure?" Lily asked.

"I can put two and two together… and I've suspected it for a while now," Kimmie answered confidently. "Haven't you two noticed the signs? She's been talking about him way more than usual… and you remember how angry she got seeing him with Circe."

"Yeah, I do remember that… I thought it was a little weird at the time," noted Taren.

"Are you sure you two aren't jumping to conclusions?" Lily asked, leaning back in her seat. "Those things don't necessarily mean she's got a _crush_ on _Sirius Black_…"

"Oh yeah? Well what about the fact that her Quidditch practice for today doesn't start for another hour?" Kimmie asked smugly. "Why was Kylie in such a hurry to leave… to avoid our awkward questions?"

Taren and Lily exchanged looks, and then started smiling knowingly. "You have a point," Lily concurred.

"Aw, this is adorable! So do you think Sirius likes her back?" Taren asked hopefully.

Kimmie grinned. "I suspect that… yeah, he does. Hence him asking us about her at breakfast."

"But why now, all of a sudden? He's had almost six years to be interested in Kylie…" said Lily.

"Because 'all of a sudden' he's realized she's his type," said Kimmie. "He couldn't even take his eyes off her last night."

"Yeah, and I noticed he wasn't showing a whole lot of interest in Circe when we were in the VIP lounge," added Taren. "In fact, he was ignoring her completely…"

"Well I'll be…" Lily murmured, shaking her head. "Kylie and Sirius… I never would've predicted something like this…"

"Yup, this appears to be a time of great change for Hogwarts," agreed Kimmie, wearing a sly look as she looked at Lily. "I guess this means it won't be long before you and _James_ finally hook up."

"_That_," Lily sputtered, collecting herself. "is one thing that will _never_ happen."

She ignored their stifled giggles and buried her nose in a book.

* * *

Later, Kylie made her way down the Quidditch field for the Gryffindor's practice session, taking her time. She really wasn't eager to see Sirius again after the strange confrontation the night before. It was bound to be extremely awkward, and Kylie hated those kinds of situations. She never dealt with them very well at all. 

"Kylie!" called a voice. She turned to see Evan running down the corridor to her.

_Oh god… I nearly forgot about Evan! What am I supposed to say to him?_

"Hi Evan," she greeted, managing a smile despite her morose mood. "Look I'm… I'm sorry I just took off like that last night, I didn't mean to-"

He held up a hand to stop her, smiling good-naturedly. "Don't worry. It's not your fault. I _was_ a bit too forward in there, so I should be the one apologizing. I hope I didn't offend you, or anything…"

"Er, no… it's okay."

"Great! So… are we still on for that library study meeting today?" he asked.

"I suppose…" she replied hesitantly. _That's funny… I don't remember us making plans for another study group thing…_

"Then it's settled. I'll see you after your practice," he said, inclining his head and heading off in the opposite direction.

She stood still in a briefly puzzled moment, then shrugged and continued on down the castle corridor till she arrived outside. _Oh well, it won't hurt to meet him for a study session. Just because he got a bit too grabby one party night doesn't mean we can't still be friends… right?_

A tendril of concern snaked its way through her mind as she suddenly recalled Sirius' words. "_He's one of the Fanatics! The guy's twisted, Kylie! One of the worst of the whole bunch! Clearly, you've never met the real Rosier…"_

Had Sirius been telling the truth? Was Lily correct to suspect that Evan has some 'alternative agenda'?

She paused, brow furrowed as she thought it over. _No, it's ridiculous! What's the point of befriending _me _if Evan wants to hurt Gryffindor somehow? It's nonsense… paranoid, even. Sirius doesn't know what he's talking about. _

Feeling slightly more at ease, Kylie reached the locker rooms at the edge of the field. She slipped inside as inconspicuously as possible, intending to hurry along the corridor towards the girls' changing rooms, except as she walked by the team's tactics/briefing room, her ears couldn't help but overhear the conversation occurring within.

"-definitely the sexiest babe at the entire party. _Sooo_ hot in that dress…" said a voice she recognized as Billy Fencer's.

"So who was this chick?" asked another eager voice she recognized as Miguel's.

"That's the weird part," answered Billy. "No one seems to know! You'd think someone looking like that would be known by everyone, but it's not the case at all. My mate Owen was gonna go and talk to her, to find out who she was, and all, except she must have left early or something because he couldn't find her."

"Aw, man!" exclaimed the voice of Ricky. "How can _no one_ know who she was? That's bullocks!"

"Hey, _someone_ may know," said the voice of Toby with a shrug. "Oy, Sirius! James!"

"What?" replied their two voices.

"You two were there… any idea on who this mystery girl is?" asked Toby, evidently just as curious as the others.

"Ah, you mean the one with the red dress and cat mask?" replied James, amusement in his tone.

"Yeah!" they all answered simultaneously.

"Nope, we have no idea. Sorry to disappoint," said Sirius simply. She could practically _hear_ him grinning. James made a muffled smirking sound.

"_Seriously?_" gasped Billy.

"You sure you don't know?" asked Miguel suspiciously. "Cuz I think you _do_ know and just aren't telling."

Sirius shrugged. "Actually, I _do_ know that she's a Gryffindor."

"What!"

"A rather feisty and temperamental Gryffindor, at that, who I suspect would be very shocked to hear your descriptions of her," added Sirius a matter-of-factly. "It would probably offend her sensibilities."

"So you _do _know her!" cried Ricky. "Who is she?"

"Nah, don't worry. You'll probably figure it out soon enough. I don't have to tell you," was Sirius only comment, much to the other boys' chagrin.

Kylie had heard enough. She quickly ran into the girls' changing rooms and into the bathrooms, overcome with bewilderment. Had a simple change in style altered everyone's perception of her so much? Overnight she had somehow become the talk of the school, and all because of some skimpy outfit and fancy make-up!

_Lily's the pretty one, not me! I don't even _know _this girl that they're talking about! God, I should've known wearing that dress was a stupid idea. What I was thinking?_

She glanced up with skepticism at the mirror and stared at her five foot three self. Stepping back, she looked her figure up and down, turning from side to side, shrugging. She couldn't see anything remotely special about her appearance.

_Plenty of other girls in school have way nicer figures than me! Wouldn't they prefer a girl with longer legs and bigger boobs?_

"_Honestly!_ What is the big deal?" she asked out loud, throwing her arms up in exasperation.

"What is?" asked a voice suddenly, causing Kylie to start with surprise. Winonell walked into the bathroom with a bright smile on her face, already dressed in her Quidditch gear.

"Oh, morning, Win. It's nothing, don't worry about it."

"Um, alright… So, how did that party go last night?" asked Winonell eagerly as she started braiding up her hair. "Was it as fun as everyone's been saying?"

"Er… yeah… it was great," replied Kylie uncertainly, not wanting to disappoint.

"I wish _I_ could have gone! It must have been so cool to get dressed up all pretty and stay out all night!" sighed the second year dreamily. "I'm sure it was fabulous!"

Kylie smiled. It was hard not to be cheered up in her presence; the young girl was always in a contagiously sunny mood, beaming and optimistic about everything (especially Quidditch). Kylie only hoped she would get her chance to prove herself on the field – there was no way a talent like Winonell's should be wasted as the mere reserve Keeper.

Ten minutes later Kylie and Winonell came out of the locker room building out to the Quidditch field where the rest of the team was waiting for James to make his usual pre-practice pep talk.

Kylie gulped nervously, avoiding look at Sirius and feeling way more eyes turned upon her than usual. She saw a couple of the other guys scrutinizing her out of the corner of her eye. Billy was whispering to Ricky and Miguel, gesturing emphatically in her direction.

Flustered, Kylie looked away, focusing on James who came forward then to start his quick speech.

"Okay, listen up, people!" he called, his mere presence effectively ending all the side chatter as everyone looked at him. "Our first match is against Slytherin, but the first actual match of the season is Slytherin versus Hufflepuff. The Slytherins, I'm told, have a brand new line-up, including a new Captain. This means, of course, that we're facing a completely different team than last year's, one with new tactics and skills. We'll be watching the Hufflepuff game to take note of these, but it'll still be a challenge to master the necessary new formations and plays in the time allotted to us."

"Maybe a challenge for any _other_ team," commented Sirius from where he stood near James. He smirked. "But not this one."

"Hell yeah!" cheered Ricky and Miguel.

"My sentiments, exactly," agreed James with a grin. "But we've gotta take this seriously. New line-up or not, there's no way we can let Slytherin break Gryffindor's winning streak. And there's also no way that we will resort to spying on the Slytherins just to see what they're planning – we have way too much integrity for that, right? That's why for the next two weeks before our match, we're having practice almost every day. And we've gotta be in top form _everyday._"

"As usual," stated Toby with a chuckle.

"Right," said James. "So let's get started!"

Everyone mounted their brooms and shot up into the air above the field, moving into their familiar warm-up formations as James yelled them out. For the next half hour James drilled them through their paces, and the Gryffindors moved on command, expertly coordinated as they practiced techniques from maneuvering to throwing.

At this, Kylie excelled. To her there was no greater joy in the world than flying in the Quidditch field. She felt totally calm and collected, focusing completely on the training. It helped that being the Seeker meant she could fly above and away from the others. All she had to worry about was spotting the tell-tale golden flash of the Snitch and speeding after it.

The happy Quidditch bliss lasted for several more hours, until James blew his whistle and signaled that practice was over. They all reluctantly flew down to the ground, filing into the locker rooms.

Kylie hurried into the safety of the girls' lockers, actually in a good mood. She'd found and caught the Snitch at least fourteen times, a record for her, and she'd even made it all the way through practice without once having to face Sirius. She smiled and hummed to herself contentedly as she showered, thinking that before she was being silly getting upset over what some boys were saying about her. It was just a dumb dance – not worth thinking about. She was overreacting.

She turned off the water and wrapped herself in a towel, wondering bemusedly why she'd been bothered by any of this in the first place. She stepped out of the shower, rinsing the water from her hair with her hands, turned into the locker room and nearly walked straight into Sirius Black.

"Hey there Kylie," he greeted, flashing his trademark grin.

She let out a startled yelp, falling against the wall behind her and clutching her suddenly loosening towel in a panic. "_Sirius!_ What the hell are you doing in here?"

"Stopping by to see you, of course," he replied simply. "Man, why do you girls have to take such long showers? I've been sitting here forever waiting."

"You can't just … _just walk into the girls' locker room_!" she stammered furiously, folding her arms awkwardly over her chest.

"Why not?"

"The obvious reason, Sirius! I could've been _naked_!" She regretted saying that the second it came out, though, seeing the roguish look that came over his face.

"Well, you aren't, so no worries, eh? Listen, I just came by to tell you I'm free tonight for a lesson."

"Er… what?"

"The Animagus lessons, remember?"

"Oh, right…Um, Sirius, I think I've changed my mind about the-"

"You're giving up? Wow, Kylie, and here I was thinking you were serious about this. Blackmailing me and everything..."

"I haven't given up!" she snapped. "I just don't think it's a good idea to conti-"

"How does eight o'clock sound? Right after dinner?"

"B-but…!"

"Excellent! I'll see you then. Same place as usual. Don't be late!" Then he was gone, striding out the door before she could say another word.

* * *


	10. A Good Challenge

Again, sorry for the horrendously long wait everyone. Please accept my humble apologies… and enjoy chapter ten right here ;).

* * *

**Chapter Ten: A Good Challenge**

Kylie's study meeting with Evan later turned out to be another discomfiting situation, at least for her. Evan was his usual, affable, tutoring self, going over notes on everything she'd need to know on an upcoming D.A.D.A test, except there was a noticeable difference in his attitude towards her this time. For one thing, he was sitting much closer to her than she was accustomed – he was usually across the table, and now he was right next to her, practically sharing an armrest. He also kept tipping his head towards her when he spoke, and if she wasn't mistaken, his tone of voice had a layer of… intimacy within it.

It was almost like he was tutoring in a 'boyfriend' kind of way, as opposed to a 'purely-academic-just-acquaintances' way. He definitely wasn't trying to hide the fact that he was interested in her in _that_ particular manner.

Thus, Kylie was having a hard time trying to follow what he was saying. His manner was too distracting, and not in a good way. A week ago she probably would have welcomed such attention from him, but since last night, things were… different. And she wasn't even certain why. All she knew was that she wasn't as taken with Evan as before. Being in his presence no longer caused her to flush or get tongue-tied.

Now she just felt nervous about having to let him down easy.

When the hour ended, she quickly jumped to her feet and stuffed her notes and books back in her bag.

"Thanks, Evan. I'm sure to pass that test with flying colors, now," she said, beaming and moving to leave.

"Your welcome. Ah, hold on for a sec', Kylie," he said as he stood up, placing a hand on her arm to stop her. "Would you care to take a stroll with me tonight in the gardens, after dinner? It's supposed to be a beautiful night – I can even sneak some butterbeer from the kitchens. We can make a date of it."

Kylie winced internally. _He's certainly being very frank about this._ "I can't… I've kind of got plans already for tonight," she said, shifting her feet.

"Oh, well how about tomorrow then?"

She chewed her lower lip, feeling really bad about what she was going to say. "I… I'm sorry, Evan. Tomorrow, or any other night won't work out either. Listen, I really appreciate all the help you've given me. I really do. I'm already doing a lot better in D.A.D.A, you've been a great tutor. But… I don't feel that way about you. I can't be more than just a friend."

He was quiet for a moment. "I… see."

"I'm really sorry," she repeated.

"It's okay, I understand," he said with a sigh. "Just remember, if you ever need more tutoring… you know who to ask."

"Thanks," she replied quietly, knowing from now on she'd probably stick to going to Lily or Taren for any tutoring help.

_Well… that went a lot better than I thought it would…_ Kylie thought as she walked away. _It could've been worse. Now I just have to brace myself for tonight's Animagus lesson with Sirius… _

She didn't look back as she left the library. Therefore she didn't see the chillingly malevolent look in Evan Rosier's glinting eyes as he stared after her, nor the way he balled his fists so tight the knuckles had gone white.

* * *

It was a typical scene in the Great Hall at dinnertime – the room buzzing loudly with students' idle chatter and gossiping. Kimmie had to raise her voice several octaves just to be heard above the racket. 

"You know, Kylie, we can't help but feel that something's bothering you," she stated from where she sat across from Kylie, who was distractedly chewing on the tip of her straw, staring at a spot on the table. She'd been shooting queasy glances at her plate of food, as though whatever was troubling her had made her lose her appetite.

"Hello, Kylie? You in there?" Kimmie asked when no answer was forthcoming.

"Hmm?"

"Come back down to Earth, would you?"

"Oh, sorry," she replied, sounding a little flustered. "What were you saying?"

"We wanted to know what's on your mind," said Taren.

"Er, nothing much. Just thinking."

Taren and Kimmie exchanged funny looks, as though stifling giggles, but quickly returned their attention to their dinner before Kylie could notice. Lily arrived just then, moving down the aisle and taking a seat next to Kylie.

"Hey guys," she said breathlessly as she began piling food onto her plate.

"Where've you been?" Taren asked curiously.

"I just needed to have a quick word with Professor McGonagall about that Conjuring essay that's due tomorrow."

"_Tomorrow_?" blurted out Kimmie in a sudden panic. "Crap, I've barely even started it!"

Lily sighed. "Well that was silly of you."

"More like silly of you for neglecting to _remind_ me about it," Kimmie retorted snappily.

"I did remind you. Several times every day since it was assigned last week, in fact. You just preferred the idea of running off to snog Casey somewhere instead of doing your homework."

Kimmie's glower was replaced by a dreamy smile. "Oh yeah, that's right…" She let out a dismayed groan as she came back to reality. "Damn, now I won't be able to meet him tonight for more snogging like I'd planned! Bloody essay… it's gonna take me hours to finish."

Lily's stern expression softened, seeing her crestfallen face. "Don't worry, I'll help you finish it," she said resignedly.

"And I will too," added Taren, smiling. "You may even get it done in time for your little midnight tryst."

Kimmie beamed at the both of them. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You guys are lifesavers…"

Taren and Lily rolled their eyes.

"I'm surprised at you, Kylie," said Lily as she walked alongside her out of the Great Hall a short while later. Taren and Kimmie were walking ahead of them, animatedly discussing the opening match of the Quidditch season coming up on the weekend.

Kylie glanced at her in confusion, stirring from her thoughts. "Why?"

"Well, you were awfully quiet back there, considering we were talking about Quidditch," Lily said. "I thought you'd be taking out bets on the opening match just like Kimmie and Taren were."

"I'm just a little distracted right now," Kylie mumbled in response, folding her arms with an anxious expression.

Lily smiled. "I can tell. What's wrong?"

Kylie shook her head. "It's just… I'll explain later." She glanced at her watch and stopped short. "Damn, it's almost eight…"

"Where are you going?" Lily asked, realizing Kylie had started turning down another corridor.

"Oh, uh… the library!" she said, thinking quickly. She gestured towards her bag. "I almost forgot that I have some books to return – don't want them to be overdue."

She hurried off then, leaving her confused friend staring after her.

"But that's not the way to the library…" Lily said quietly.

She continued up the marble staircase after Taren and Kimmie, frowning.

* * *

Kylie found herself standing in front of the door to the classroom where she knew he was waiting, wondering why her insides felt all scrambled up and her legs like marshmallows. It was taking all her willpower just to reach for the door handle. 

_This is stupid_, she thought. _Why am I nervous about being alone in the same room with him? Just open the bloody door. **Open it**, Kylie!_

She took a deep breath and turned the handle.

"Ah, good, you're on time for once," said Sirius from where he sat on top of the teacher's desk at the front of the classroom. "I've brought some books James and I dug up two years ago – they detail every phase of the Animagus transformation, so we can use them for reference today while I explain it." He paused and looked up from the book. "Why are you still standing there? Sit down already."

"Oh, right," Kylie replied quickly, moving to take a seat.

Sirius launched immediately into the lesson, and Kylie realized with relief that he was behaving like he'd always done – looking bored and impatient as he spoke, just eager to get the whole thing over with. There was absolutely no change in his manner towards her.

Then she wondered why she was even thinking about that at all. Why _shouldn't_ he be acting normal? There was no reason for him to do otherwise.

_Just drop it! _she told herself firmly.

She settled down and allowed herself to focus on what he was explaining, which was actually extremely interesting, despite the indifferent tone he was using. He was finally going in depth on how the Animagus transformation worked – it sounded complicated, of course, but Kylie found herself more and more eager to try it. She jotted down notes and examined the diagrams in the books, more carefully than she did for most of her actual classes.

"Alright, it's been over an hour already. Is that enough for tonight?" Sirius asked eventually. Kylie glanced at the clock, surprised by how quickly the time had passed.

"Oh, yes, we're good for today," she said, smiling and picking up her bag as she stood

"Great. Now that that's finally over with it…" Sirius said, his tone of voice switching rapidly to one conveying much more interest.

She looked up and realized with a jolt that Sirius had moved to stand right next to her.

"Kylie, I'd like to take you out for a night around town – Hogsmeade, that is. How does tomorrow at seven sound?"

"…Excuse me?"

"Hogsmeade? Seven, tomorrow?" he repeated. His mouth shifted into that infamous crooked smile she'd seen him use countless times in the past.

She'd never before been the target one of those devastating smiles, and now that she was, it occurred to her that she wasn't quite as immune to its power as she might have hoped.

"… Are… are you asking me out on a d-date?" she stammered in a dazed manner, finding it rather difficult to express herself articulately under the scrutiny of his piercing, grey gaze – a gaze she was quite helpless to pull away from. Even more maddening was how much he appeared to be enjoying himself. She could see the telltale sparkle in his eyes and the almost imperceptible twitch of his mouth.

"That I am."

She stared at him as though he was addled in the brain. "You realize this is _me_ you're talking to, Sirius, right?"

"Of course I do."

"But… why??"

"Because I want to. So what do you say?"

"I, er, well… no!"

That answer only seemed to amuse him further. "Really? You _don't_ want to go on a romantic, moonlit stroll through scenic Hogsmeade with Hogwarts' most eligible bachelor? You _don't_ want me to shower you with gifts and attention and give you a night you'll never forget?"

"Y-yes, really," she said, her cheeks turning pink at the images her mind unintentionally conjured up as she took in the meaning behind those last few words. She placed a hand on her hip to look surer of herself and stared him down.

He grinned, shaking his head. "I admit, this is a new experience for me. May I ask _why_ I'm being so callously turned down?" he asked in a mock-pained voice.

She tsked. "You're already seeing Circe, for one thing!"

"Circe? I'm not seeing her."

"Oh, and what would you call taking her to the party last night?"

"What about it? I escorted Circe and danced with her once. That's hardly 'seeing her'."

"But, you-!" She paused, her face suddenly brightening when something else occurred to her. "Wait, you can't take me out anyway. The next Hogsmeade weekend is months away!"

"A trifling thing like that won't stop me."

She realized irritably that that was quite true, remembering that Map of his and all those secret passages down to Hogsmeade on it. She wracked her brain for more excuses.

"In case you've forgotten, it's _November_. I can't imagine how _romantic_ a stroll through Hogsmeade would be when we're half frozen the entire time."

"You'll have me to warm you up," he said so quietly it was almost a murmur, taking a step closer.

"Well, I… I don't have to give you a reason why," she spluttered, blushing furiously. "It's my decision – I don't have to go on a date with you if I don't want to."

"Of course you don't," he agreed. He leaned even closer, staring deep into her eyes. "But the thing is, I think you _do_ want to go out with me. You're just being stubborn to prove a point. Which isn't working, by the way."

"And by the way, you're not as _charmin_g as you seem to think you are."

"Yes I am," he countered playfully. His face was very close to hers now – she could smell his spicy and very masculine aftershave. Forcing herself not to look at those lips, she took a step back.

"Say what you like, Sirius, I won't change my mind. I'm _not_ going out with you and that's _that_," she said in what she hoped was an adequately firm and forceful voice.

"You will. Eventually," he said, grinning in an infuriatingly confident way.

She ignored that and stepped past him with a terse "Good night."

He was chuckling again as she practically sprinted out of the room. In the hallway outside she decided to move as quickly as possible without running outright, just in case he planned on catching up, and when she got to Gryffindor tower she went straight up the stairs to the sixth year girls' dormitory, where she promptly collapsed unceremoniously onto her bed.

She lay there for a while staring up at the red velvet canopy, trying to simultaneously calm her racing pulse and make sense of what had just happened. It was to no avail, since nothing she could come up with made any real sense at all. Sirius Black, the very same cocky, arrogant, vain, troublemaking, annoying, self-proclaimed King of Hogwarts who could get any girl he wanted, Sirius Black, had made a move on her, and no, it hadn't been some mad hallucination. Not even the part where he'd _almost kissed her_. Or the part where she'd damn near let him do it!

She rolled over and groaned into her pillow.

"So, _now_ will you tell me what's bothering you?" asked a voice from the doorway.

"Lily?" Kylie sat up quickly. "I thought you were helping Kimmie with her essay…"

"I was. But then I saw you come dashing through the common room, looking all out of sorts, and decided I'd better come and check on you," she explained. She closed the door behind her and sat down on her own bed next to Kylie's, an imploring look in her eyes. "Well?"

Kylie grumbled something inaudible and fell back against her pillows, folding her arms. "Sirius asked me out."

There was a brief pause. Then Lily laughed. "Is that all?"

"It's not funny!"

"I'm sorry! But you know… I can think of worst things…" She eyed her questioningly. "Did you say yes?"

"Of course not."

Lily blinked, surprised. "Really? I thought you… But why?"

"'Why'?" Kylie repeated, sitting up again. "Let me put this way: Why don't _you_ want to go out with James?"

"…Oh. I get your meaning." They were quiet for a few minutes, the both of them mulling things over. Then Lily spoke up again, "So, why let this trouble you? He asked you out, you said no. End of story, right?"

Kylie opened her mouth, closed it, and then nodded hesitantly. "I suppose... Yeah," she said, more confidently. "You _are_ right, Lils. I'm being stupid, complaining about it like this. I'm putting this whole thing out of mind _right_ now."

She hopped off her bed and went over to rummage in her dresser for her pajamas. Lily, however, was looking bothered again.

"How is it you saw Sirius tonight, anyway?" she asked eventually, after Kylie had finished changing. "He's hardly the type to be in the library late on a Sunday… this is usually when those guys are off causing trouble somewhere."

Kylie paused in the act of fluffing her pillows. "I kind of just… ran into him in a corridor, that's all."

"And this 'run in' took over an hour?"

Kylie turned, recognizing the 'I-know-you're-hiding-something' look etched clearly on Lily's face. She let out a deep breath and sat down on the edge of her bed with resignation. "Okay, you've caught me. Lils, there's something I've been wanting to tell you about for a while now… I just haven't because, well, it's kind of a really big secret. And frankly, I'm still not sure if I should reveal it."

"You remember I'm your best friend, don't you?" Lily asked, smiling.

"You have to _swear_ you won't tell this secret to anyone. Not even Kimmie or Taren. Well, Kimmie's already in the loop, but there's something else even she doesn't know about. And you absolutely _can't_ reveal this to any of the teachers."

Lily looked a little concerned, but nodded. "I… I promise. Really, I do. If it that's important to you, I won't divulge it to anyone. Now can you please tell me what this is all about?"

Kylie did so, starting from the very beginning. She explained everything, including how she and Kimmie discovered the Marauder's Map, how Kylie confronted the guys when they returned from a full moon escapade, how she learned about their status as illegal Animagi and Remus' secret, how Sirius later explained their actions to her, and how she'd 'blackmailed' him into teaching her to become an Animagus herself, leaving out nothing.

"And that's where I went tonight instead of the library… and also where he asked me, well, you know…" she finished, drifting off into silence.

Lily was very quiet, having listened attentively through the entire story, not interrupting once. She finally exhaled deeply, shaking her head seriously. "So… Remus is a…" She shuddered. "That must be horrible for him…"

"Those were my thoughts as well," Kylie said softly.

"But this is just so – I mean Remus is… He's so kind and considerate and… it's just not _fair_ at all! And those guys… they… I can't believe they've been doing all that right under everyone's noses for so _long_. It's reckless, mad, irresponsible…"

"Lily, you promised…"

"I know, I know, I won't tell the teachers. Even though it's my _duty _as a prefect… But I'll keep their secret." She continued frowning, though.

"It's not so bad, really," Kylie said encouragingly. "As dangerous and stupid as these monthly outings are, they're the only thing that can help Remus endure his… condition. Think of this as keeping a secret for his sake, not because you promised me you would."

Lily managed a faint smile. Then her expression changed to one more critical. "I can't believe you're actually trying to become an Animagus yourself. You're being just as foolhardy."

Kylie shrugged sheepishly. "I know… I'm not even sure why I'm doing it, myself. I guess I just felt like throwing caution to the winds for once in my life. It's quite an invigorating feeling, actually. You ought to try something spontaneous, as well."

"I'll have to think about that one," Lily replied, rolling her eyes. She went to get changed for bed as well. "Just be really careful, alright? You know the transformation can-"

"Go horribly wrong, I know. Don't worry, I'm taking every precaution," she said with a reassuring smile.

* * *

"Prongs, I trust there's a reason why you've dragged us to Hooke's class ten minutes earlier than usual?" asked Sirius dully as he trudged to the back of the Potions dungeon, tailed by Remus. He plopped down in his usual seat next to James, tilted back the chair and crossed his feet as he rested them on top of the table in his typical haughty and bored fashion. 

"Of course there is, Padfoot," James replied cheerfully, his eyes taking on that devious look which meant he had a prank in mind. "Don't tell me you've forgotten what we had planned for Hooke this morning?"

Sirius grinned, suddenly not so bored. "Oh yeah…"

Remus shook his head with a resigned smile. "And here I was hoping this madcap scheme of yours had somehow slipped your mind over the weekend, Prongs."

"After seeing what he had in that pensieve in his office? Not a chance," James laughed. He reached into his robes pocket and pulled out the Remembrall he'd nicked from some unsuspecting first year that morning and, with a casual flick of his wand and a nonverbal incantation, transfigured it into a furry, white, and very much alive Puffskein.

"Impressive," murmured Remus. "You've got the markings exactly."

James grinned. "Of course. Had to make sure Hooke recognizes the little fella." He lowered his voice as other students began arriving in the classroom. "Alright, this should to be done up close – from the front row, preferably."

"Should I even bother trying to dissuade you from this course of action?" sighed Remus. "This is a teacher you're pranking, after all. And not just any teacher – the worst one you could possibly get caught pranking."

"The greater the risk, the better the reward," replied Sirius flippantly. "Hand it here, Prongs. I'll do it."

He moved to the front row desks, the cuddly creature squeaking cheerfully as he surreptitiously carried it behind his back. He grinned when he saw the person next to the only other available seat.

"Good morning, Kylie," he greeted pleasantly as he sat down. She stiffened and shot him a wary look.

"What do you want?"

"Well, a 'good morning' back would have been nice," he replied, smirking.

She pursed her lips and looked away. "Hmph."

"Well? Aren't you going to say it?"

With an annoyed roll of her eyes she snapped, "_Good morning_. There, are you satisfied?"

"Not quite yet," he said mischievously.

"My mind hasn't changed, Sirius."

"What are you talking about?"

"You _know_ exactly what. I'm still not going out with you."

"Oh, that's fine," he said simply. "I didn't sit down here to ask you again, anyway."

He grinned at the taken aback look on her face. "I know when to back off, Kylie. Unlike, unfortunately, poor besotted James."

"Oh, well… good!" she said, flustered.

Kylie turned to focus her attention elsewhere, hoping Professor Hooke would arrive soon, at the same trying to ignore the unmistakable sounds of giggling coming from the desk behind her where Kimmie and Taren were seated – they'd clearly heard every word of that conversation.

After a few minutes of waiting in silence, though, she couldn't help but notice Sirius shifting in his seat, nor the fluffy round thing he had cupped in his hands hidden under the desk.

"Sirius?" she inquired curiously. "Is that a… Puffskein?"

"Yup."

She blinked, puzzled. "What are you doing with it?"

"You'll know in just a moment," he said with a wink. "By the way, did _you_ know that Hooke happens to have a deathly fear of Puffskeins?"

"He… what?"

"Believe it or not, he does. James got a look at the pensieve in Hooke's office last week while I kept lookout… Turns out Hooke had a bad experience with a particular Puff all the way back when he was in school."

"How can you possibly have a 'bad experience' with a Puffskein? They're harmless…"

"Not when they've been jinxed. Hooke made the mistake of hitting on a girl when her boyfriend was there to see it. Apparently the boyfriend wasn't too pleased, because right then and there he put a jinx on the girl's pet Puff she had with her, which made it rabidly attack Hooke and chase him out of the room while everyone laughed hysterically. And it _was_ hilarious."

Kylie stared at him, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Are you sure this is the same Hooke you're talking about? He's hardly the type to be cowed by a ball of fluff. _Nothing_ cows him, actually."

"Well, you're about to be proven wrong."

"What…?" It suddenly dawned on her what he was planning to do. "Oh no… Don't tell me you're going to-"

"Re-create his worst memory? Yes, I am."

"You can't do that!"

"Why not?"

"Because he's a teacher and you'll lose Gryffindor _Merlin_ knows how many points!"

"Ah, don't worry your pretty little head off," he said breezily. "I'm not going to do it obviously – Hooke'll have no proof it was me, so he won't know who to deduct points from."

"But Sirius-!"

"That's enough chatter!" declared the voice of Professor Hooke himself as he swept into the classroom in his usually dramatic fashion. "Open your textbooks to page ninety-two – the chapter on poison antidotes!"

"_Oppugno_," Kylie heard Sirius mumble under his breath. She grabbed for his wrist, but it was too late.

The Puffskein was suddenly zooming through the air, making a beeline for Hooke, whose back was turned as he faced the blackboard. And then it was upon him, darting all over his face with excited squeaks and screeches. The effect on Hooke was instantaneous: his terse, snappy lecture on poison antidotes quickly turned into a shriek not unlike that of the rabid Puffskein. What little color in his face left it as he staggered backwards and threw up his arms, flapping them wildly.

"_Get away you foul beast! _Cursed, wretched creature! _AWAY!!_"

The class, with the exception of the few Slytherins, roared with laughter at the ridiculous sight of their normally unruffled professor being overcome by what was essentially a ball of fluff.

"_Finite! FINITE INCANTATUM!!" _the riled up Potions Professor cried, waving his wand maniacally about. So frenzied were his attempts to end the jinx that when he finally succeeded, the Puff was sent careening back across the classroom to land quite safely – fortunately – in Lily's hands, who'd jumped up to catch the excited little creature before it could hit the wall behind her.

The class was still in a fit of laughing as Hooke huffily smoothed down his robes. Breathing heavily, his flashing eyes snapped immediately upon Kylie and Sirius, both of whom currently had their hands on the same wand that remained ostensibly pointed straight in his direction.

Kylie quickly pulled her hands away. "Sir! It isn't what it looks like! Honest! I was trying to stop-"

"_You two!_" Hooke snarled, his face livid as he pointed a shaking finger at them both. "Kyleen Hart and Sirius Black! Fifty points from Gryffindor! And _detention! DETENTION EVERYDAY UNTIL THE END OF TERM!!"_

Kylie, stricken, sank into her desk, but a thoroughly entertained Sirius grinned like an idiot, not abashed in the slightest as he returned James' enthusiastic thumbs-up from the back of the room.

"You are such a _prick_, Sirius!" Kylie uttered as the two of them walked through the halls towards McGonagall's office shortly afterwards. Hooke's detention note was being steadily crumpled in her furiously clenched hands.

"Hey, that would've been a perfectly executed prank had you not decided to meddle. You got yourself in this mess," he reminded her casually, still beaming with amusement. Honestly, he couldn't have planned the whole thing better himself. Not only had he successfully humiliated everyone's least favorite teacher in a way that wouldn't soon be forgotten, he'd also nabbed a series of detentions with the latest object of his fancy. He was having a terrific day.

"Well," he said slyly. "I guess this means you and I will be seeing quite a lot of each other for the next few weeks."

"_Not_ if I have anything to say about it!" she snapped heatedly. Inwardly, though, she was panicking. _Oh God, I can't be alone in the same room with Sirius everyday until the end of term! Not now when everything's gotten so… weird between us! Crap, crap, crap!_

She forced herself to breathe calmly. "Alright, Professor McGonagall will sort this entire thing out. Once I've explained everything she'll understand that I'm innocent and that this has been a complete misunderstanding. _You_ can serve those detentions on your own like you deserve."

They reached the door to McGonagall's office then, and Kylie hastily knocked on it twice, willing her to answer it quickly. Sirius leaned sideways against the wall and merely looked at her with that ever persistent smile, his eyes glinting mischievously.

Her face was most assuredly on fire at this point. "Quit it, would you?"

He raised his brow innocently. "What?"

"Staring at me. It's annoying." _Come on, Professor…_

"I can't help it," he said teasingly. "You're just so damn cute when you're mad."

She was saved from the embarrassment that surely would've come from trying to reply to that statement by the timely appearance of McGonagall in the doorway.

* * *

Unfortunately, it turned out that attempting to explain the situation to their Head of House wouldn't be doing Kylie much good at all. McGonagall had assured her that she would try to help, but Professor Hooke had been driven completely irrational with fury over the incident, apparently. No amount of 'explaining' would convince him to let her off the hook, despite McGonagall's best efforts to do so. She did, however, manage to wrangle a detention separate from Sirius and to lighten the sentence, reducing it merely one detention. Albeit, one very long and arduous detention. 

"I have to clean… the Owlery," Kylie said slowly, as though it hadn't quite sunk in yet. "The _Owlery!_"

Kimmie, Taren and Lily exchanged varying looks of amusement mixed with pity, seeing their friend sitting on the edge of her bed looking more than anything like a child who'd just found out that Santa Claus wasn't real.

Kimmie patted her on the shoulder in a comforting manner, "Aw, cheer up, Kylie. It'll be over before you know it. It's only one Saturday, after all."

"Yeah, and it shouldn't be too difficult," added Taren encouragingly. "The Owlery may be rather big, but that just means a little more spell work. A few extra Vanishing Spells and-"

"Except I can't use magic," Kylie said in a dead voice.

"…Oh."

"Ick…."

"Damn…"

"That's gonna take _hours_…"

"And you'll be absolutely _filthy_ afterwards…"

"Smelling like a-"

"Thanks, guys, I think I get the picture," Kylie said sarcastically, cutting off Kimmie mid-statement. She sighed. "I'll be missing the opening Quidditch match, too. I wanted to see what kind of team the Slytherins have this year."

Lily shook her head. "You won't be missing much – Hufflepuff never puts up a decent fight so the Slytherins probably won't be using their best game plans. They won't need to."

"That's true…" Kylie trailed off, looking morose again. "I still can't believe that jerk got me in detention. I _never_ get detention."

Kimmie laughed. "Maybe you should be thanking Sirius, then. No Hogwarts education is complete without serving at least one detention, I say."

"Yeah, even Lily got it once, remember?" Taren added. "When she hit that poor little first year with a Stinging Hex two years ago?"

They giggled as Lily gasped and sputtered, "I told you guys, already! That was an accident! I was aiming for Potter and missed!"

"I've seen that same kid around. I think he still has the scars," Kimmie teased.

Lily tsked and quickly changed the subject. "So what does Sirius have to do for his detention?"

At that Kylie managed a small smile, "Not sure exactly, but I think he has to pickle something smelly and disgusting in the dungeons."

"Ah, well that should help."

"Yeah, and at least I don't have to clean owl droppings with _him_ for company," Kylie muttered. She blinked, seeing the funny looks her friends had exchanged in that moment. "What?"

"Oh, nothing," Kimmie said slyly, grabbing her own bag. "Come now, Kylie dear, we have a very urgent History of Magic lesson to get to."

* * *

The rest of the week passed by in a blur for Kylie, who seemed to have something to occupy her every waking moment, from classes, homework, Quidditch practice and prefect duties. Paranoid that Sirius would try to corner her alone at some point, Kylie was actually glad to have so much to keep her busy. Though it was still annoying as hell when every time they saw each other around the castle he'd flash a teasing wink her way, grinning when she'd blush and dash off in the opposite direction. She was now acutely aware of his presence in all their classes together, and he knew it, too. It was the same during Quidditch practice and evenings in the common room. 

She wouldn't be able to avoid him forever, and the thought terrified her more than a little. Why… well, she couldn't really explain why at the moment. She just knew for sure their next Animagus lesson was not going to be fun.

Saturday afternoon came and Kylie reported to the Owlery for detention, her mind whirring with plans on how to best prepare for that upcoming meeting. As she went about the laborious task of scooping, sweeping and scrubbing away at the droppings-strewn stone floor, Filch stood watch to make sure she didn't cheat and use magic (she knew Hooke had sent him there for that purpose while he himself kept an eye on Sirius in the dungeons). The caretaker spent most of the time grumbling under his breath about the lax detention standards at Hogwarts, and all the horrible ways he thought students ought to be punished for their miscreant behavior. All the while his cat Mrs. Norris' lamp lit eyes stared creepily at Kylie, occasionally sneaking a greedy glance at the smaller owls that fluttered about above them.

Two hours later, Kylie stood back to admire her handiwork. The floor was finally droppings free and now covered with a fresh layer of straw. It didn't even smell all that bad anymore.

"I guess I'm done then," she said to herself with satisfaction, stretching to ease her sore muscles. All that remained was to get rid of the trash bag full of dirty straw in the corner.

There were faint shouts and cheers in the distance, indicating that the Slytherin and Hufflepuff match was still playing, but Kylie was too hot and bothered to care. Despite the cold draftiness of the tower, she'd worked up a good sweat, and now wanted nothing more than to sink into a luxurious bubble bath in the prefect bathroom.

She reached for the trash bag, but in that second a familiar voice from the doorway uttered, "_Evanesco_," and it promptly vanished. "There, all taken care of."

She looked around in surprise. "_Sirius?_"

"The very same," he replied, grinning as usual as he strode in, putting his wand back in his fine black coat's pocket. "Don't worry, Filch didn't see that. I gave him a fake tip about somebody planting a dungbomb booby trap in his office. He's long gone."

"Aren't you supposed to be in the dungeons?" she asked perplexedly. Butterflies were already having a party in her stomach. _What is he doing here???_

"Eh, already finished my detention. I used a Scouring charm on those horned toad entrails when Hooke wasn't looking."

"That's nice," she muttered.

He was giving her that intense look again, the one with the uncanny power of rendering her incapable of coherent speech and thought. Conscious of her messy appearance, she turned and busied herself with putting away the brooms and buckets, tools that were already neatly stacked in their rightful place.

Of course, ignoring him wasn't going to make him simply walk back out the door. She felt more than heard his sauntering approach.

"You've been avoiding me this week," he stated without preamble, his tone playful.

"Have I?" she replied airily, looking around for one of the handle-brooms she knew was missing. She spotted it on the ledge right above her next to a grumpy looking owl.

"Why is that, I wonder? You're not scared of being alone with me, are you?"

"What?" A gasp of pain escaped her lips – she'd been distracted while reaching for the handle-broom above her and the nasty owl had nipped her little finger. She wrung her hand to shake off the sting, but before she knew it, Sirius had taken a hold of it in his own hands and had unmistakably begun massaging the superficial injury.

"Stop that," she said, blushing.

"Stop what?"

"_That_. M-my hands are dirty."

He smiled. "My hands are dirty too. What are you so afraid of?"

She stared at him wide-eyed for a long moment and then shook her head slightly. "Alright, Sirius, what is this all about? Honestly? Did someone put you up on a dare? Is that it?"

"Honestly? No idea what you're talking about."

"You know exactly what I mean. Why are you… _pursuing_ me?"

"You need me to spell it out for you?" he teased.

She glared back. "I _know_ the kind of girls you like to go after, and I'm _not_ that kind! So I _can't_ believe that you really want me to go out with you. It has to be something else. Is it the Animagus lessons? Are you trying to freak me out so I won't insist on them anymore?"

His lazy grin grew wider and wider as he listened to her. "Bloody hell, no, not at all. Is it really so hard to believe that I just find you attractive, Kylie?"

"Yes, frankly! Sirius, you've known me for years and have never expressed any such '_interest_' before."

"Would it help to know that I think I've been blind for the past few years, then? I don't know how I overlooked you for so long, but trust me, I have no intention of doing that anymore. You're way too beautiful to ignore now."

Little tingles shot up her skin from where he continued to gently massage her hand. "Oh, okay, so you saw me show a little more skin than usual one night and suddenly I'm worth your attention? Bumped me to the top of your 'to do' list, did it? God, you are such a _scoundrel, _Sirius!"

"Scoundrel, eh?" he laughed. "I like the sound of that. You like me because I'm a scoundrel, don't you?"

"What makes you think I 'like' you at all? I happen to like _nice_ guys, not scoundrels."

He was much closer now, way too close. "Well, I think you need a few more scoundrels in your life…"

It was their lesson all over again, except this time Kylie realized she couldn't pull away. It felt like a thousand incomprehensible things were going on at once in her body, and she couldn't possibly concentrate long enough to summon the will to move. She was rooted to the spot, and his face was drawing nearer and nearer to her own. Like it or not, she was about to get her very first kiss from Sirius Black.

But then-

_Splat_.

Something wet and white had landed on Sirius' shoulder. He sighed, closing his eyes. "_Please_ tell me that's not what I think it is."

For the first time in that encounter, a smile came to Kylie's lips, and she let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "That… is karma, Sirius. Beautiful karma."

From the ledge above, the same mean owl who had nipped her finger stared down rather haughtily, ruffling its feathers before flying out through a window. Kylie watched it go with a laugh and then pulled her hand away from him.

"Look on the bright side, Sirius. At least it didn't land in your hair!" She turned and waltzed out of the Owlery with a cheerful spring in her step.

He remained where he was for a moment, letting out a bemused chuckle and shaking his head before pulling out his wand and vanishing the mess on his coat. He moved to the doorway and watched Kylie cross the grounds back to the castle.

A week wasn't a very long time, but it had never taken Sirius _that _long to win a girl over before… and yet he found he wasn't the least bit discouraged. On the contrary, he realized he was enjoying this little game immensely and didn't really want it to end too soon. After all, he'd always loved a good challenge.

* * *

_A/N: If any of you are Star Wars fans... you probably recognized something very familiar about that last bit ;). That's just me paying homage to one of my favorite movie scenes of all time, which is Han and Leia's little interlude in Empire Strikes Back - a scene that I think managed to perfectly convey humor, charm, sexual tension and romantic passion all at once. My 'version' isn't nearly as good, but oh well..._

_Anyway, stay tuned ;)._


	11. All's Fair In Love and Quidditch

You know, I told myself I'd get this chapter out before Christmas… but then that deadline magically became the New Year. I knew I'd _definitely_ get it out by then. When that didn't happen, I _knew_ I'd finish it before my spring semester began, which, of course, didn't happen. So now here I am, giving you guys chapter 11 all the way into February, a few days shy of my Valentine's Day birthday :D. So… it's like a birthday present, that I, the birthday girl, am giving to all of you, just like they do in the Shire (and I hope at least one of you gets that reference, lol). Yay!

**

* * *

****Chapter Eleven: All's Fair In Love and Quidditch**

It was a chilly night, the frigid winds outside icing up the windows, which probably explained why the Gryffindor common room was so empty on a Friday evening. There was only one fireplace after all, however large and merry it was, and there were only so many comfy spots close enough to its warmth to go around. Lily, Taren and Kimmie were one of the few groups of students still present, the three of them seated leisurely in their own squishy armchairs.

"It's getting worse out there," Taren said quietly, looking uncharacteristically somber as she rifled through the pages of her copy of the _Evening Prophet_. "A family was attacked in broad daylight today by You-Know-Who. 'Says here he marched right into a Muggle neighborhood where the Auror Scythia Caldwell lived with her Muggle husband and kids. He didn't leave any of them alive…"

Lily looked up from her novel, horrified. "That's so awful… Not even the kids?"

Taren mutely shook her head.

"What kind of monster murders innocent children?"

"What kind of monster murders people in the first place? Ugh, you ought not to read that stuff, Taren. It's too depressing," Kimmie grumbled from behind her _Teen Witch_ magazine.

Taren sighed. "And I suppose it's much more important to see scandalous photos snapped of Joscelind Wadcock or to know who Celestina Warbeck's latest husband is?"

"Hey, you eat this stuff up too. Don't pretend celebrity love lives don't fascinate you. I, personally, think it is very important to keep tabs on Celestina. The woman's what… sixty already? But she doesn't look a day over forty _and_ the guys are still lining up for her. We could _learn _from this chick, Taren."

"You're barely sixteen, Kim. You hardly need to be worrying about age lines or holding on to your youth," Lily said, shaking her head.

"That's what Dorothea Claptrack once said," Kimmie snorted.

"Who's Dorothea Claptrack?" Taren asked, puzzled.

Kimmie smiled knowingly. "Exactly."

Taren and Lily exchanged bemused looks.

"Besides, it's opening match tomorrow. Who wants to talk about stupid You-Know-Who and how much life sucks after Hogwarts when Quidditch is starting?" Kimmie added, turning a page. "It just drags everyone down when they need to be getting _pumped up_."

"The opening match was last weekend," Taren pointed out.

"Yes, but _everyone_ knows Hogwarts Quidditch doesn't really start until Gryffindor and the Slythies duke it out."

"Speaking of Quidditch players, where's Kylie?" Taren asked, looking around. "I haven't seen her since dinner."

"She went to bed early after we got back from prefect patrols," Lily explained. "Said something about wanting to be fully rested for the match."

"Is that the real reason?" Kimmie asked slyly.

"Well, I remember she gave Sirius over there a rather nasty look before she hurried upstairs hours earlier than she usually goes to sleep."

They all glanced over to the corner nearest the fireplace where the Marauder boys were building up a rather impressive tower of Exploding Snap cards while being watched by a gaggle of awed, wide-eyed younger students. Sirius was egging a grinning James on as he tentatively added another card to their intricate mini-skyscraper of cards which threatened to explode at any moment.

"I think they're going for the biggest and longest lasting Exploding Snap castle ever," Kimmie stated. "Looks like they're getting close… I think the record's a little over an hour."

"Quite a productive way to spend one's time, really," Lily muttered.

"Well, that's our Gryffindor boys for you," Taren noted. "So what's been going on with those two lately? It's hard to keep track with all these N.E.W.T. classes to worry about…"

"You mean Sirius and Kylie?" Kimmie shrugged. "I dunno, really… I've never seen them talking. Kylie's never in the same room with him long enough for anything to happen." She paused, smirking. "And she always changes the subject when I dare to bring it up. Or she becomes mysteriously deaf. Has she told you anything, Lily?"

"No, because unlike you two," she said, looking at them pointedly. "_I_ don't pester people about things that are none of my business."

Simultaneously, they turned equal looks of comical skepticism upon the redhead. Lily gave in.

"Oh, alright! So what if I did ask her in an off-handed way yesterday? She won't tell me anything, either. Her lips are firmly sealed."

"Why is that, I wonder?" Taren asked. "Kylie's never been so secretive before. It's like she's trying to pretend there's nothing happening between her and Sirius."

"It's not 'like' she is… She _is_ pretending," said Kimmie.

"Do you suppose we ought to, you know, do something about it? I mean if Sirius is really bothering her…"

"He'd better not be," Lily uttered, glaring across the room at him.

"Now, now, Lily," Kimmie said hastily. Anyone who knew Lily at all would recognize that dangerous look – it often preceded her doing something overly bold in the name of the innocent, helpless or underprivileged. "I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. Kylie's a big girl. And she obviously wants to deal with… whatever's going on… on her own."

Lily didn't seem entirely convinced. "Fine, but if I hear he's chasing her all over the castle trying to ask her out despite her _repeatedly_ telling him no then I swear I'll be putting to creative use those Confundus Charms Professor Flitwick just taught us. I'll make Black believe he's a five year old girl whose favorite hobby is playing dress up!" She hesitated, seeing Taren and Kimmie's alarmed looks. "Well… at least, I'll have something to… say about it."

Kimmie vehemently shook her head. "Oh no, no, I think I'd rather you did that Confundus Charm. That would be _priceless-_"

"For goodness sake, Kim! Don't encourage her!" Taren giggled.

Lily laughed along with them, and they whiled away the next ten minutes chortling over how ridiculous Sirius would look playing dress up and coming up with even more creative ways they could mess with the King of Hogwarts with a well-cast Confundus Charm.

"It's getting late," Lily said eventually, glimpsing at her watch. "And I need to send them to bed – it's past curfew," she added, indicating the younger students around James and Sirius who were now clapping with delight. Evidently James had managed to break the record.

"We'll see you upstairs, then," Taren replied, catching her breath from laughing.

As she and Kimmie began gathering up their things Lily got up and headed across the room. She opened her mouth, but James had started talking before she could say a single word.

"Alright you lot, I think it's well past your bedtimes," he said jovially, getting to his feet.

He was met with a chorus of "Awwww! But-!"

"Hey, no buts! It's a big day for Gryffindor tomorrow and we all need a good night's sleep. Curfew's in place for a reason, kiddies."

"But ho-ho-how come _you _and Siriuscan break curfew whenever you want?" one disappointed boy asked, trying to pretend he wasn't yawning.

"Because we don't need as much sleep as eleven year olds," James said, grinning.

"Don't worry, kids. Once you're older like us you can break curfew all you want," Sirius added.

"Yeah, for now, it's off to your beds. Go on, scoot!"

As the group of younger students stumbled their way across the room to the staircases, James looked around and saw Lily staring at him with a look that might have been surprise, with maybe the slightest hint of a smile twitching on her lips.

"Evans." He nodded to her.

She quickly collected herself and nodded back with a terse, "Potter."

They stared at each for a second or two longer before she abruptly whirled around and made her way up the girls' staircase.

* * *

"That _git_." 

"Sorry, did you say something, Kylie?"

Kylie jumped hearing little Winonell's voice come out of nowhere right beside her – the girl had the odd tendency of popping up when she least expected it. She shook her head and fastidiously smoothed down her Quidditch uniform.

"It's nothing," she replied, pasting a cheery smile on her face. "Don't worry about anything except the game, Win."

"Alright. Dunno what good I'll do, though. I'm just the reserve Keeper. All I get to do is sit on the bench."

"Yes, but that could change very soon. Keep that in mind. Billy's so-called skills are sporadic at best."

Winonell smiled with encouragement and began skipping ahead towards the pitch sidelines. "Good luck, Kylie! I'll be watching from the stands!"

Kylie waved her off and then turned her attention back to the sight that had roused her annoyance moments earlier. The rest of her team stood near the stands where several girls were congregating around the Gryffindor Quidditch boys like obnoxious groupies, giggling and preening for all their worth. A good majority of them surrounded Sirius, and he was clearly living it up.

"I can't wait to see you beat the tar out of those Slytherins, Sirius," said one Hufflepuff girl enthusiastically.

"Yeah, just so you know, Sirius, our House is behind you all the way," another seventh year girl added, giving him what she must have thought was a beguiling smile.

_Poor Hufflepuff, even their own House doesn't support their team_, Kylie mused wryly.

Sirius grinned as he buckled on his bracers. "What a considerate thought, Sheila. I'll fly more surely today knowing I have you lovely ladies rooting for me."

"You mean, Sharon, don't you?"

"What?"

"My name's Sharon."

"…Of course," he said smoothly, not missing a beat. "I always did like the name Sheila, though."

_She'll probably change her legal name to Sheila first chance she gets_. Kylie sighed and quickly looked away when Sirius turned his head, almost as if he'd caught her scent on the wind like the dog he was.

As usual, one entire side of the stands was a solid green and silver, facing the sea of red and gold Gryffindor fans on the opposite side. Here and there students held up banners, each one more flashy and creative than the last. A good deal of those banners depicted Sirius and James' names, along with exclamations of encouragement and devotion. Above the roaring of the crowd Kylie could make out the occasional "_We love you, Sirius!" _And it wasn't only girls screaming it, she realized with a slight laugh.

Kylie eyes fell on the Slytherin team a few yards away, most of whom were flexing and stretching, some sneering contemptuously at all the Gryffindor banners in the audience. An odd feeling struck her just then, like a prickling on the back of her neck – someone was watching her. She glanced around and realized with surprise that it was Evan Rosier. She'd almost forgotten that she'd be playing against him today.

She blinked. For a second she thought there was something a little off with the way he was looking at her- an intense sort of expression she couldn't name and made her somewhat uneasy. It was gone before she could make sense of it, though, replaced with a quick smile and nod from Evan in her direction. She nodded back briefly, wondering if she wasn't imagining things.

The referee, an elderly witch who had played professional Quidditch in her youth, Madam McKinch, signaled that it was time to start the game, and both teams gathered around her in the center of the field. Kylie exhaled softly, tightening and relaxing her grip on her broom. She was a fairly seasoned player, after being on the team for three years already, but she never failed to feel the twinge of nerves before a match. It was always better once she was up in the air.

"There's a lot riding on this match, Kylie," spoke up Sirius who had stealthily sidled up next to her. He cocked his head to the side playfully. "First one of the season, and all. You sure you're up to the task?"

She glared and turned up her nose at him. "I've never failed the team before, have I?"

He shrugged. "There's a first time for everything. But don't worry. If that snitch eludes you today I'll make up the difference in points, just for you."

She couldn't believe it. He'd managed to both buoy and mock her in the same breath. She'd never known anyone quite like him. "Just concentrate on the match," she muttered through gritted teeth.

"Captains!" Madam McKinch called out. "Shake hands!"

The brutish Slytherin Captain Warren Woolgar sneered unpleasantly down at the admittedly shorter James, who merely smirked back. No one was more pumped than James Potter when it came to Quidditch, and a bone crushing handshake wasn't about to cow him.

"Mount your brooms!" McKinch ordered. Seconds later she blew her silver whistle, and the match was on.

All in all, it was a good match - a great one, actually, even if it did drag on an excessive four and a half hours. Both sides did their utmost best to make the day an exciting one, filled with daring plays and countless fouls on the Slytherins' part. Sirius kept his word, with him, Toby and James outflying the Slytherin Chasers at every turn and scoring a record number of points. At the rate they had been going it would've been impossible for the Slytherins to win even if they'd caught the Snitch.

That tiny golden ball had certainly proven elusive, hence the length of the match. Kylie missed her chance to catch it several times, mostly because Jugson, the Slytherin Seeker, chose to focus his efforts on trying to unseat her from her broom rather than chasing after the Snitch himself. Luckily, a well-aimed Bludger whacked by Ricky Pereira distracted Jugson in the final hour of the match, which allowed Kylie to snatch the Snitch right under his nose for a final score of 470 to 240, Gryffindor.

The celebration in the common room afterwards was a boisterous affair, with every Gryffindor uplifted at the prospect of a glorious Quidditch season concluding with the securing of the House Cup yet another year. Music blared from the Wireless boxes strewn about the circular room, a blazing fire roared from the fireplace to warm them all from the winter chill, and everyone enjoyed the feast of sandwiches, cream cakes, pies and butterbeers that the Marauders and others had snuck up from the kitchens.

Kylie was enveloped by her friends the second she got back from the locker rooms, and spent a good hour enjoying their company in their usual spot by the fireplace.

"Jugson should've been thrown out of the game for all those stunts he pulled!" Lily insisted for probably the umpteenth time. "He could've really hurt you out there."

"I know, right! Although it's a good thing Ricky got him in the end," Kimmie laughed. "Did you see his face afterwards? Looked like he'd been Obliviated, he was so out of it."

Kylie laughed along with her and downed her bottle of butterbeer.

"Madam McKinch didn't give out nearly enough penalties, I say," Taren said sternly. "The Slytherins kept sneaking them past her."

"Poor woman must be losing her touch," Kimmie replied. "I guess her eyesight's gone bad after so many years."

"I did hear she'll be stepping down soon," Lily said.

"Oh, that's a shame! I've always liked her," Kylie added. "She was so encouraging to me when I first tried out for the team years ago."

She got to her feet. "I'm going to get some more butterbeer. Anyone want any?"

"No thanks, I think we're all good for now," Taren answered, lifting her bottle.

Kylie made her way across the crowded room, stopping shortly to say hi to a beaming Winonell and her group of second year friends, before eventually arriving at the drinks table. A loud bark of a laugh caught her attention, and she spotted Sirius nearby enthusiastically going over the match with James, Peter, Remus, Ricky and Miguel. Once again, he was surrounded by a legion of admiring females, from the Brooks twins to girls as young as Third Years, all giggling at his comments whether they were intended to be amusing or not.

She shook her head with a muttered tsk and attempted to squeeze by the multitude of students mingling around the table to reach the butterbeers, only to see a little First Year running off with the last one.

"Here, you can have this one," said a familiar voice. "I've got an extra."

Kylie turned and smiled at Toby Randall who had appeared behind her, taking the butterbeer he was offering. "Thank you, Toby. Are you sure you don't need it for someone else?"

"Nah, I think my friend will understand if I gave his intended drink to a pretty girl instead. He'd probably do the same thing if it was him."

Kylie laughed, only blushing a little at the compliment. "Well, I appreciate it, and I hope your friend doesn't hold it against you."

"I hope so, too," he replied. "He wouldn't be much of a friend otherwise, eh?"

"I suppose not," she said, smiling back.

Toby took a swig from his butterbeer and glanced around the room. "Our teammates seem to be enjoying the celebrations."

James and Sirius now looked to be recounting how they'd each managed to score 30 points apiece within ten minutes time in the match, much to the joy of their little audience. Kylie half expected applause to break out at any moment.

"You wouldn't know there was anyone else on the team, hearing them tell it," she muttered sullenly.

"That's James and Sirius for you. Can't really hold it against them – it's just who they are. Though to give credit where's it due…" Toby held up his drink. "You flew great today, Kylie. Especially how you handled that thug Jugson. No Seeker at this school could've done it better, I say. So cheers."

Kylie blushed again, meeting his drink with hers. "Thanks. You weren't so bad yourself, you know."

"Well, I try," he said with a light grin. "I'll see you around, Kylie."

She nodded and watched him head back through the crowd, a little bemused. It took her a few seconds to realize she'd just been openly flirted with by a guy she hardly ever exchanged more than a few words with in all the years she'd known him.

Her contemplative smile vanished the second her gaze happened to fall upon the group across the room once more, when she realized Sirius was staring right at her. She knew that look – it had become particularly familiar these past weeks. He was on the prowl again.

_Damn. _She quickly put down her unopened butterbeer, pushed her way back through the crowd and climbed the girls' stairway to her dormitory, the one place in Hogwarts where he couldn't follow her. As much as she would've liked to sit with her friends for a few hours longer enjoying the party, it was better than the alternative of facing Sirius and those strange feelings he roused in her.

Feelings she wasn't certain she was ready to understand.

Besides, her friends would probably join her later and they could continue whiling away the hours chatting. She might even get some work done while she waited – there was always that bloody Transfiguration essay she'd been procrastinating for days.

She sighed as she closed the door behind her, running a hand through her hair and grabbing her bag off her four-post bed. She took a seat at the single little desk in their room and pulled out her textbook and rolls of parchment, ready to somehow churn out a passable Exceeds Expectations essay. Lately she'd been in an Acceptable slump; marks that Professor McGonagall had been hinting weren't quite up to snuff for a NEWT level student. If she didn't bring up her grades soon she'd definitely hear about it from Mum and Dad come end of term, who only seemed to find time for their daughter when it came to schoolwork.

As she scribbled her name down on the parchment with a freshly dipped quill, she heard the door open accompanied by the faint sounds of chatter and music streaming from the party downstairs.

"Homework on a Saturday night? Why Kylie, I'm simply appalled."

She jumped to her feet so suddenly she upset everything on the desk and nearly knocked over her chair. It was only fast thinking by Sirius that saved her ink bottle from spilling all over the carpet. He stilled the teetering bottle with a nonverbal wave of his wand and stowed it back in his pocket as quickly as he'd whipped it out.

"Easy, didn't mean to startle you," he laughed, kneeling to pick up her dropped quill from the floor. "No Death Eater's going to be able to sneak up on _you_ anytime soon."

"W-what are doing in here?"

"To see you, of course. Why else would I be here?"

"No, I mean, _how_ did you get in? The stairs are bewitched to keep out men!"

"Oh, _that_." He grinned as if recalling a fond memory. "I figured out how to get around that little trifle years ago."

She gaped at him in amazement. "…Of course you did."

"I've never been in _this_ particular dormitory, however." He moved about the room leisurely, sizing up the place. "It's nicer than the others, I think. Cozier. And you girls seem to have a better knack for décor than other Gryffindors." He paused, and she realized with a tiny gasp that he'd spotted the stuffed animal lying on her bed.

In a flash she'd lunged passed him to snatch it off her pillows and stow it out of sight.

"Yours, I presume?" His eyes teased her and that smile was way too knowing. "That wasn't a _dog_, was it?"

"Even if it _was_, it's just Rufie and I've had him since I was six!" she stammered hastily, cheeks ablaze. "It doesn't mean anything."

"I never said it did. Whatever do _you_ mean, Kylie?" he asked innocently.

"Oh, shut up," she grumbled, stepping around him to return and straighten out the mess of parchment and notes on her desk.

"You know, if you like Rufie, you're going to _love_ Padfoot. He's infinitely more fun to cuddle with at night."

"You-!" She whirled around, gaping soundlessly at him as if no words could effectively express her indignation. She finally shook her head, thinking better of trying to fumble for an adequate response. "Don't you have something else better to do than to pester me? Go back to flirting with your little fan club downstairs like you've been doing all day!"

There was a small pause. "So that's the reason you've been shooting all those fiery little glares at me today. I never thought jealousy was very becoming in girls but it's actually rather charming coming from you," he chuckled fondly. "I wonder why that is?"

"I am NOT jealous, you git!"

"Ah, that's why. You're in denial."

"Argh! You are _impossible!_" she cried, throwing up her hands in frustration. It was taking a great deal of restraint not to hex him on the spot. "Has it occurred to you, Sirius, that you aren't _always _right? That maybe the inferences you like to make about everyone could, for once, be completely inaccurate?"

"Of course it has," he conceded breezily. "Doesn't mean I'm wrong in this case."

"Perhaps my 'fiery little glares' were done out of a sense of… of feminine duty! On behalf of all the girls in this school you've gone through and discarded like tissue paper! I _glare _at you, Sirius, because you're a philandering pig! You have no respect for women! No _concept_ of monogamy or-"

Kylie wasn't sure how it happened. One minute she was furiously haranguing the guy and the next he'd curved his hand around the nape of her neck, drawn her to him and pressed his lips to hers.

Initial shock made her freeze, but as the seconds went by and she didn't pull away, Sirius deepened the slow, compelling kiss, shaping and molding her lips to his in a way that made her head swim and sent shivers up and down her spine. She really couldn't help it when her eyes fluttered close and she leaned against him, bracing her hands on his chest to keep from collapsing outright.

They were officially snogging now. And yes, he was rather good at it - something that might have annoyed her had she not been wrested of all rational thoughts.

Some time later Sirius drew away, and she shuddered, her body still seeped in warmth.

"There, that wasn't so bad, was it?" he said with a soft laugh. He didn't seem nearly as shaken or out of breath as she was. In fact, he was completely composed, merely looking supremely satisfied with himself.

She sucked in her breath and gave him a good, hard shove. "You… _jerk!_ How could you do that!? You've _ruined_ my first kiss!"

He blinked in surprise, and for the first time that evening he was the one caught off guard. "Well, I can't say that's quite the reaction I was expecting…"

"My first kiss was supposed to be this lovely, beautiful moment, not _stolen_ by the biggest prick in the universe who just wants to sate his ego!"

"You sure you aren't overreacting a bit?"

She pursed her lips and continued. "What's worse is that you don't even really like me! It drives you mad that a girl would have the audacity to say no to you and you just want to get me out of your system! Well I'm not putting up with it! Don't even think of trying a stunt like that again!"

He tilted his head as he smiled down at her. "You really are a quirky girl, aren't you?"

Delicate laughter came from the stairs just then, and into the room walked the Brooks twins, two people Kylie really would have preferred not to see. They couldn't possibly take kindly to the sight of their idolized Sirius alone with another girl in their dormitory. Either that or they'd be jubilant and wouldn't want him to leave. Neither of the two situations would be appealing.

They both froze in the doorway, their pretty blue eyes going very wide. Then, to her astonishment, the twins squealed out, "NO boys allowed in the girls' dormitories!"

In an instant they were hurrying over and forcibly ushering an utterly bemused Sirius out the door. "Out, out, OUT!" Opal cried. And with that they slammed the door in his face, something Kylie never dreamed they would do.

Ocean cast her an apologetic look. "We're so sorry for interrupting, Kylie! Honest! But really, this is one _sacred_ Hogwarts rule that even Sirius mustn't break."

Opal nodded fervently beside her. "Yes, yes! It really is an important rule." She giggled. "Can you imagine what it would be like if boys could come and go to the girls' rooms whenever they pleased? Like we do to theirs? It would completely throw off the balance of things."

Kylie would have laughed if she wasn't still reeling from everything that had just happened between them. "I understand perfectly," she said with a nod before sinking down onto her bed.

* * *

"Gentleman… I am at an impasse."

James looked up from studying the Marauder's Map to exchange blank looks with Remus and Peter.

"Since when do you use words like 'impasse', Padfoot?" he asked, smirking.

It was the middle of the week and the four of them were spending the late afternoon after classes lounging languidly about under a beech tree by the lake. It was a bit nippy out, but their coats, gloves and scarves comfortably staved off the cold. Remus had his nose in a textbook, as usual, and James had been brainstorming ideas for their next adventure - while Peter looked on eagerly - before Sirius broke the silence with that odd statement.

"Since always," he said mirthfully from where he stood near the water's edge. "I'm more cultured than you think, Prongs." He deftly tossed a stone into the lake that managed a couple skips before sinking. He sighed, as if what he was about say was going to be difficult for him. "I need advice."

"This is a first," remarked Remus.

"What's up?" asked James curiously.

"My normally foolproof methods are… failing me. With Kylie."

James quickly stifled a cough that sounded an awful lot like laughter and Peter thumped him on the back helpfully.

"Wow, this really _is_ a first," Remus said, his mouth twitching.

"Look, I knew this was going to take a while," Sirius continued, raising a brow at the still 'coughing' James. "But she should've warmed up to me by now. I don't know what I'm doing wrong."

"What can I say, mate? Join the club," James sniggered.

Sirius began to pace distractedly, one hand scratching his chin. "After we snogged it should've been a done deal. I didn't think she'd be able to stay away after that." He stopped moving, briefly looking pleased with himself. "No girl ever has."

James rolled his eyes but Remus frowned slightly. "Padfoot, what exactly are you trying to achieve with Kylie, anyway?"

Sirius shot him a puzzled look.

"What I mean is, I hope you realize this _is_ Kylie we're talking about here," Remus continued. "She's not just some Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw you can ditch and ignore once you get… bored with her. She's our classmate who lives in the same tower that you do. Not to mention she's a friend."

"What's your point, Moony?"

"My point is that this isn't a game. Kylie's not like the girls you've dated in the past."

Sirius scoffed, though he looked a bit uncomfortable. "Blimey, what d'you take me for, Moony? It's not like I'm trying to compromise her virtue or anything."

"_Sure_," James sniggered again. "You know, Padfoot, if I recall correctly you said once that you didn't like dating Gryffindor girls. Something about them being 'around too often'."

"Well, _yeah_. This is just a…" he shrugged. "A special case, alright?"

"Hey, maybe Kylie's refusing you because she fancies someone else," piped up Peter suddenly.

They stared at him in surprise before Sirius casually waved off that suggestion.

"Trust me, Wormtail, the one thing I'm certain of is that Kylie Hart _digs_ me. It's just a matter of making her admit it, herself."

Peter shrugged with an easy smile. "Oh, alright then. Never mind."

Something about the way he replied didn't sit well with Sirius. "Just… out of curiosity," he said offhandedly. "What made you think she fancies someone else?"

"Well, I thought there was something going on with Kylie and Toby lately."

"Kylie and… _Toby?_ Toby Randall?"

"…Er, yeah," Peter replied, fairly unsure now. "I've just seen them together around the castle lately, talking a lot."

Remus sensed trouble and quickly cut in. "I don't think you need to worry about it, Padfoot. They were probably just discussing Gryffindor's next match."

Sirius hesitated for the briefest of moments before nodding, even managing a chuckle at himself. "You're right, it was probably nothing." He absently skipped another rock across the lake. "Toby wouldn't do that. He knows that I've already-"

"Staked claim on her?" James laughed.

"You know what I mean," replied Sirius. "There are unwritten rules about these sorts of things. _Man_ laws."

"Entirely true, that," James said. He scowled. "It's something that git Kent seems to have forgotten these days."

"I keep telling you we should do that prank on him I suggested last week, Prongs - the one involving sneezeworts and Bulbadox Powder. The tosser won't know what hit him."

"I'd love to, Padfoot. But we can't go pranking Ravenclaw's Captain, especially since we're facing him on the pitch soon. We should be above sabotage when it comes to Quidditch."

"Eh, you're right. Damn."

Remus smiled and shook his head in resignation at his friends, closing his book. "It's almost six. Let's go get some dinner, shall we?"

"Good idea, I'm starving," agreed James. He tapped the Map with a quick, "_Mischief managed,_" and hopped to his feet.

They made their way up the hill and across the lawn towards the castle, laughing as they discussed plans for their upcoming full moon outing and playfully jostling each other. They entered the entrance just in time to see a group of students leaving the Great Hall. Lily, Taren and Kimmie were having a lively chat as they walked, and a few steps ahead of them on the marble staircase were Kylie and Toby, also in the middle of an animated conversation. They seemed oblivious to the boys' presence in the hall.

Sirius hesitated in his steps, a frown creasing his forehead as he watched them leave. Remus glanced with concern at James, and he nodded back at him, getting his drift.

"Hey, it's like you said, mate," he said to Sirius, patting him on the back. "They're teammates, probably talking about our next match. Let's go eat."

"…Yeah, sure." He nodded, but the frown didn't quite leave his face as he followed them into the Great Hall.

* * *

Not a whole lot of time had pissed since that eventful night after the match, but it had already become quite clear to Kylie that Toby Randall was interested in her. What had been a cordial friendship over the years had rapidly progressed into a not so subtle and ongoing flirtation during the past few weeks. He'd taken to accompanying her and her friends as they walked between classes, striking up easy conversations that almost always involved him complimenting her somehow, whether it was for her appearance or some display of skill in their previous class. He'd also joined them several times in the Great Hall at mealtimes, telling jokes while once even playing footsie with her under the table. 

It was strange, but not entirely unwelcome. Kylie didn't know what to think of it, least of all how she felt about Toby. There wasn't much chemistry between them, to be honest, and she realized the prospect of dating him didn't feel all that thrilling. Yet, she couldn't help but be flattered that this charming, popular guy fancied her, even if it had come from out of the blue. So she played along, flirting right back when the opportunities arose. She figured it was harmless.

"I don't think it's a good idea," Lily had said when Kylie had confided in her about it. "If you're not interested in dating him you should say so. You're just leading him on, otherwise."

"I know, I know… But then again, I'm not sure that's what I really want. You know?"

Lily had sighed, her brilliant green eyes alight with understanding. She always seemed to possess a deeper insight into situations than Kylie was privy to - it was one of her more disconcerting talents. "Make up your mind soon, then. Just don't let it go too far, before you have a real mess on your hands."

Of course, Kylie's thoughts were plagued by more than just her indecision over Toby. Every time their little dalliances took place she experienced the passing, panicked notion that Sirius was going to come around a corner at any second and spot them. It hadn't happened yet but it was bound to at some point, and she was definitely dreading that moment. Sheer luck had placed him in different parts of the castle whenever she was with Toby, whether in corridors or the common room. He'd been in detention with James one evening just the night before, so he hadn't been present to witness them playing Gobstones together or the goodnight kiss he'd given her on the cheek.

No, Sirius seemed to be more interested in pulling pranks with James as of late than he was in making more passes at her, much to Kylie's relief. Although something in her gut told her he had far from given up. It simply wasn't in his nature.

That's why when the team met again for practice for their upcoming December match, the last one before Christmas holidays, Kylie had been a tad fidgety. If Toby had started flirting with her there on the pitch, Sirius couldn't have missed it, and the last thing she wanted was for a confrontation to occur. It could completely throw off the team dynamic, something vitally important for Chasers.

Fortunately, practice came and went smoothly. They'd all been too busy flying plays and discussing tactics to have time for socializing, aside from the sole instance of Toby calling out, "Nice one!" when she'd flown by and successfully snatched the Snitch near him.

It was with a far more eased state of mind that Kylie showered and changed afterwards, glad that nothing had gone awry. Toby was waiting for her outside of the locker rooms when she came out, and walked and chatted with her companionably back to the castle.

As they reached the entrance hall Toby paused and turned to her. "So, got any plans for tonight? There's going to be a small party in the Hufflepuff common room this evening – my brother's one of the hosts. You wanna come with?"

"Oh, I wish I could. But Lily and I have prefect patrols tonight," she replied, dismayed.

"Well, it'll probably go late. Can you swing by later when you're done?"

She smiled and nodded. "Sure, I can try."

"Great. I've got a Charms Club meeting in a few minutes, so I'll see you later then?"

"Yeah, see you."

Toby smiled and headed up the stairs that led to the third floor for Professor Flitwick's office. Kylie turned and started the climbing the marble staircase that led to Gryffindor tower, thinking she'd go and see what her friends were up to in the common room. A deceptively casual voice stopped her midway up the steps.

"Looks like someone has a date tonight."

Sirius was leaning cavalierly against the banister on the landing above her, watching her with an unreadable expression. Kylie swallowed - he must have seen her and Toby. She steeled herself and continued climbing the stairs, purposefully looking past him.

"What's going on with you and Randall, anyway?" he asked as he followed with a hint of an edge to his voice. "You two going steady now?"

"Whatever's 'going on' is none of your concern, Sirius," she replied coolly.

"So there is _something_ going on, then?"

"I never said that. Toby's just a friend."

He scoffed. "I've lived with the guy for over five years, Kylie. I know what he's planning for you and it certainly isn't 'friendship'."

She nearly laughed out loud. "You're not exactly in a position to judge, you know."

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean I'm wrong," he said insistently. "Believe me, Randall's not interested in girls for their _minds_. He gets what he wants and moves on."

"Oh, you mean like… you?"

Sirius gritted his teeth, unable to refute her at the moment. "I'm just saying you've got the wrong idea if you think he's going to some kind of saintly boyfriend. You're making a mistake if you go out with him."

"Unbelievable. You are such a hypocrite," she uttered, shaking her head.

"Oh, so _I'm_ the hypocrite?"

"Yes, you are!"

"You're the one who won't go out with me claiming some _moral high ground_, but apparently the same rules don't apply to a guy who's no better than I am!"

"You-! Just-! Ugh, _why_ am I even arguing about this with you?" she cried fiercely. "Look, I can take care of myself! I'll thank you to stay out of my business!"

Sirius looked like he wanted to say more, but someone called out to them the moment they reached the second floor landing.

"There you are, Padfoot! I was wondering where you'd disappeared to," James said, coming down the stairs above them. "Come on, Moony and Wormtail are meeting us in the kitchens."

Kylie cast Sirius a withering glance before striding determinedly past James up the stairs. He stared moodily after her.

"Everything alright, mate?" James asked, looking at him with some concern.

"…Yeah," he grumbled discontentedly. "Let's go."

* * *

It was close to midnight when Kylie and Toby returned from the Hufflepuff party – when they arrived through the portrait hall they found the common room to be entirely empty, as everyone had already gone to bed. He walked her all the way to the foot of the girls' staircase, where they both paused, their light conversation fading into a brief, heavy silence. 

Kylie smiled up at him, unsure what to say. "…Thanks for inviting me tonight. I had a good time."

It wasn't a lie, per se, but the party had admittedly been a tad on the boring side. When Toby wasn't treating her to jokes and stories that weren't particularly interesting or funny, his attention was mostly focused on talking with his Hufflepuff friends while she stood mutely to the side. It was nice becoming acquainted with some new Hufflepuffs, of course, but none of the few she met seemed to make very good conversation partners. If Kylie wasn't being asked (again) about James and Sirius from overeager young Hufflepuff girls, she was listening to others bemoaning their House's status at the bottom of the Hogwarts 'coolness' hierarchy. Kylie had found herself wishing for her friends' presence more than once.

"Me too," Toby replied smoothly. "I wish it could have gone on longer… But, big Ravenclaw match for us bright and early tomorrow and all." He stepped forward. "Sweet dreams, Kylie."

When he kissed her Kylie was ready for it. What surprised her, however, was the utter lack of a spark. She felt nothing at all. Toby seemed very enthusiastic, of course, but…

_He's no Sirius._

The stray thought came to her unbidden, and she felt like slapping herself for it. But it was irrevocably true.

_Damn… and I really wanted to like him, too._

She forced a beaming look back onto her face when it was over, and, not wanting to prolong the moment into inevitable awkwardness, said quickly, "Well, goodnight!"

"Goodnight, Kylie."

As luck would have it, just as she ascended the girls' staircase and vanished, Sirius himself walked into the room, the portrait door swinging shut behind him. His eyes narrowed when he saw Toby.

"Where's Kylie?" he asked immediately, slightly out of breath.

"Hey, Sirius," Toby replied cordially. "You just missed her. She went up to bed." He paused, looking briefly confused. "How did you know she was with me?"

"I just… heard you went out with her tonight." It was only partially true, but it's not like Sirius could admit that he'd left James, Remus and Peter in mid-sentence while they were on their way back from setting up a prank in Hooke's office because his gaze had strayed briefly to the Marauder's Map and spotted Kylie and Toby alone in the common room together. Nor could he admit that he'd practically sprinted all the way here.

"So, you two kids have fun?" He meant it to come out neutrally, but there was no mistaking the ill-disguised enmity in his voice.

Toby's smile faltered. "Yeah. Yeah we did."

Sirius couldn't take it anymore and abandoned all pretenses. "Alright, what the hell, Randall? You're actually going through with this?"

"I'm not sure what you mean," Toby said, stiffening slightly.

"That's bollocks. You knew I was interested in her first and you're going after her anyway!"

Toby's eyes widened. "I can't believe I'm hearing this. You're really holding this against me?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Sirius snapped. "You're stabbing me in the back!"

"It's not like you own her, man," Toby said, his face paling with anger now. "And from what I've heard, she wants nothing to do with you."

"That's not the point! You don't go after another guy's girl!"

"And that's exactly _my _point. She was never _yours_ in the first place!"

"You've been sadly misinformed if that's what you think, Randall. Damn it, you don't even really care about her! She's just another fling to you!"

"Whatever she is to me doesn't matter! I have every right to date her if I want to so sod off, Black!"

"Whoa, whoa, what's going on?" James came hurrying in through the portrait hole, followed closely by Remus and Peter. They halted at the sight of Sirius and Toby standing only a few yards apart, both with wands brandished at each other and equally furious expressions.

"Black needs to grow up and get over himself, that's what!"

"Funny, I could say the same thing about you!" Sirius retorted harshly.

"Alright, calm down," said Remus, alarmed. "Both of you put away your wands. You're being ridiculous."

"Yeah, come on, Padfoot," James said, moving to stand next to him and placing a mollifying hand on his shoulder. "Moony's right. This is out of hand."

Slowly, with great reluctance, Sirius lowered his wand. He scowled at Toby and strode without a word across the room and up the stairs to their dormitory. There he kicked off his shoes, collapsed almost fully dressed on his four post bed and, knowing his friends would be up there shortly full of questions, pulled shut the hangings. Shaken by the argument and still fuming, Sirius was definitely not in the mood to explain himself.

* * *

Kylie knew the moment she sat down for breakfast the next morning that this was going to be one _those_ days. Not only was the enchanted ceiling swirling with ominous dark clouds, there was a palpable tension emanating from one end of the Great Hall to the other. The entire Gryffindor House seemed to sense it as they dined on their breakfast in a far more subdued manner than was usual for a game day. 

Stuck in the middle of the table, Kylie glanced at Toby, seated near the entrance and sullenly munching his toast, and back to Sirius at the other end of the table, who was stabbing at his food like it was still alive. Every few minutes one of them would send a baleful glare down the table, as if either one would dearly enjoy seeing the other start choking on their breakfast. She leaned on the table, putting her face in her hands.

"Oh Merlin, something must have happened last night. This is all my fault…"

"What are you talking about?" Kimmie asked, not quite done chewing the rather large quantity of scrambled eggs in her mouth.

"She's referring to the blatant aura of hostility currently smothering the room, I believe," Taren said, frowning disapprovingly at Kimmie.

Kimmie rolled her eyes. "I knew _that_. What I was wondering was what Kylie thinks she has to do with it." She paused, eyes going wide. "Hold the phone, are they _fighting _over you? Is that what this is about?"

Kylie's reply was a noise somewhere between a groan and a muffled curse. It was hard to tell exactly what.

"Damn, Kylie!" Kimmie exclaimed. "Stuff like this never happens to you! Aw, you've come such a long way. I'm so proud!"

"This is hardly a laughing matter, Kim," Kylie mumbled back. "God, how could I have been so stupid? I _shouldn't_ have gone to the party last night - I knew it'd only provoke Sirius. If Gryffindor loses today I'll be entirely to blame. Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

"Don't be so dramatic," Taren said encouragingly. "You're making too much out of this."

"Yeah, I'm sure everything will be fine," Lily added. "Even if those two aren't getting along it doesn't mean they can't put their differences aside for one match. They love this game as much as you do."

"I don't know, Lily… Even James looks a bit worried over there," said Kimmie. "I think he can tell when things might not go according to his carefully laid plans."

"Nonsense," Lily said, giving Kimmie an insistent look. "Nothing is going to go wrong today… and _even_ if, perchance, it does," Lily continued, seeing the disbelieving looks on their faces. "It won't be Kylie's fault. Sirius and Toby have only themselves to blame if their teamwork is shoddy. Be above it, Kylie."

"It's a quarter to," said Taren just then. Several people were standing up throughout the Hall, including the downright giddy looking Ravenclaws – they could certainly smell blood in the water.

Kylie gulped and reluctantly got to her feet.

"You going to be alright?" Lily asked.

She nodded back soundlessly. Her stomach seemed to be wounding itself into a tighter knot by the second.

"Come on, we'll walk with you down to the pitch," Taren said.

Up ahead they saw the Marauders leaving the Great Hall together, Sirius making sure to bump into Toby as he passed. The knot in her stomach seemed to have risen to her throat. Kylie swallowed and continued walking, trying to hold her head high.

_Be above it… be above it…_ _Somehow, everything __**will **__be okay because… because I bloody well say it will!_

Half an hour later, it occurred to Kylie that no matter how many times she repeated those words in her head, it would never make them true. Minutes into the Gryffindor-Ravenclaw match it swiftly became evident that Sirius and Toby's teamwork was not just shoddy – it was downright non-existent – and the ensuing result was disastrous.

Perched on her broom fifty feet in the air and buffeted perilously about by gale force winds, she watched in dismay as Sirius once again blatantly ignored a wide open Toby, choosing instead to fly with the Quaffle past the Ravenclaw Chasers on his own. Predictably, he did not succeed, and Ravenclaw retook possession of the Quaffle. Kylie had lost count of how many times this cycle of Toby or Sirius purposefully ignoring each other and losing the Quaffle had happened – had to have been at least ten times at this point. They wouldn't even cooperate with fellow Chaser James, determined as they were to show each other up. Occasionally, they managed to score, but overall their matching zeal to be a one-man team was costing Gryffindor. She couldn't keep up with the commentary over the howling wind, but the last time she'd been close enough to see the scoreboard, they were already down fifty points.

Ravenclaw's Chasers were clearly taking advantage of these many scoring opportunities, and what's more, they'd caught on to Keeper Billy Fencer's weaknesses. Seeing him flail about to vainly try and block Ravenclaw's fourth goal in a row, Kylie realized the only thing that had kept Slytherin from beating them in their last match was due in large part to the superior skill of Gryffindor's Chasers. The number of times Billy had allowed goals by Slytherin last time hadn't mattered that much simply because, collectively, Toby, Sirius and James had out flown them so effectively and racked up a strong lead in points. Now that those two were hell bent on refusing to pass to each other, Gryffindor was finding it difficult to score at all, let alone establishing and maintaining a lead.

The sky that had been rumbling and darkening so forebodingly all morning finally made good on its threat when, with a startling flash and the accompanying crack of thunder, it split open to let fall solid sheets of rain. Kylie was soaked through and shivering with cold in minutes. Teeth chattering, she glanced all about the field, hoping for the telltale flash of gold. If she could just catch the Snitch now, the match could be saved, but only if she hurried before the Ravenclaws got too far ahead.

Their Seeker, Seventh Year Charlie Simms, seemed to be thinking along the same lines. He was constantly shadowing her, darting above and below her like an annoying fly. Of course, he was probably just having a hard time keeping his broom under control against these winds, just like she was.

_Come on… stupid snitch… show yourself, already…_

Something big, dark, and flapping about in the wind came flying at her – a wayward umbrella, she realized – and Kylie swerved to avoid it, only to come mere inches from being hit by a Bludger that had pelted out of nowhere. If she hadn't spun around in a fairly dramatic looping maneuver, it would have unseated her for certain.

"Watch yourself, Kylie!" Miguel Vera called out as he zoomed passed her after the Bludger.

A great cheer rose from one side of the stands, and she groaned – Ravenclaw must have scored again. It was much harder, now, to see what the rest of her team was doing – it had gotten so dark it felt like late evening rather than midday, and heavy droplets of rain kept bombarding her face. Squinting, she could barely make out all the Chasers darting about thirty or so feet below – it looked like two of the Gryffindors were flying neck and neck beside each other, and apparently-

No, it was impossible. She just wasn't seeing things right, because there was absolutely no way that Sirius and Toby were actually fighting _each other_ for possession of the Quaffle. She had to be imagining this, hallucinating, even! Perhaps that Bludger had in fact hit her in the head earlier and now she was unconscious on the field having a bizarre nightmare that could never, in a million years, happen in reality.

Dashing away the rain water on her face, Kylie looked again, only to see that the two boys were now roughly shoving each other, more intent on getting the Quaffle away from the other than they were in actually scoring a goal. She felt like yelling in frustration.

At that moment, she caught the flash of blue robes out of the corner of her eye, and all the air seemed to leave her lungs. Simms was flying full speed towards the Gryffindor goals, where she spotted with a jolt of fear that tiny spark of gold flittering about the goalposts. She tore after him, flattening herself to her broom handle and trying with all her might to get there first.

"Go, go, go!" she urged her broom desperately.

Simms was ten feet ahead – five feet – two – she was almost there! - the Snitch was within reach, if she could just throw herself forward at the right moment… Simultaneously they both reached out their hands and-

"_No!_"

With a horrified cry, Kylie saw the Snitch vanish from her sight into Charlie Simms' hands. He gave a triumphant shout which was quickly drowned out by the screams and yells from the Ravenclaws in the stands. As Simms flew to join his team in a rowdy group hug down on the grass, Kylie remained floating in place by the goalposts, shivering and stunned beyond disbelief.

They had lost… for the first time ever, she'd failed as Gryffindor's Seeker.

_

* * *

__Dun, dun, dun! _

_And I think it's safe to say that you all think Sirius and Kylie are behaving at least three kinds of stupid, no? Yes, I think so too._

_But why else would we love fictional characters in our books, fanfiction, tv shows, etc, if not for their lovably idiotic behavior? The best part comes when they redeem themselves… which will happen… eventually… ;)_


	12. Rooftop Rendezvous

Zomg, I can't believe I updated! I don't know why it took me so long – I've been planning this particular chapter since last summer and right now I have all the free time I could ask for to write it, yet it still took me forever. All I can do is offer my most ardent apologies ;). And maybe promise not to write such long chapters...

I would like to add that I got a lot of inspiration from some new music I discovered (music tends to help me write a lot, actually). Maria Taylor's "Song Beneath the Song" was especially helpfully in putting me in the right state of mind for this chapter.

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Rooftop Rendezvous**

It was pandemonium in the Quidditch stadium. Everywhere there were students either screaming or yelling cheers and boos, and if they weren't, it hardly mattered anyway because no one could even hear themselves think over the still raging storm. Blue-robed clad Ravenclaws were streaming down to the field to swarm around their victorious team while everyone else seemed too disappointed to move from their spots in the stands. Well, a good deal of the Slytherins were jeering and sneering for all their worth.

"What the bloody hell!?" stammered Kimmie in apt disbelief. "Did we just lose?"

"L-looks like it," said Taren, teeth chattering and soaking wet. The large umbrella the three of them had been huddled under for the duration of the match had done little good in keeping them dry, with the rain practically falling sideways from the sheer force of the winds still battering the stadium.

"I can't even tell what's happening out there – I wish this awful rain would stop already!" gasped Lily. She squinted anxiously. "Oh poor Kylie. I think I can see her – she's running into the locker rooms alone. I can't imagine what's going through her head right now…"

"We should go see her," said Kimmie, abruptly getting to her feet and nearly knocking over a group of despondent young Hufflepuff girls as she pushed her way down the stands.

"I guess Kylie was right to be worried after all," commented Taren as they made their way down. "Sirius and Toby were terrible."

"They were _idiots_ is what they were," grumbled Lily with a scowl. "Where are they anyway? Are they still fighting?" She moved to the edge of the stairs and peered over the railing towards the field. "Yes, of course they are. Look, the rest of the team is trying to break them up."

Taren sighed, following Lily's gaze to see several miniscule red-robed figures near one end of the field. A pair of Gryffindors were indeed trying to push past team members to get at each other, and she thought she could make out the sounds of irate shouting carried by the wind.

"I hope Madam McKinch sorts them out, although, admittedly, she probably has no idea what's happening down there... By the way, Lily, shouldn't you go see Wesley and congratulate him? He's your boyfriend, after all."

Lily flinched, glancing reflexively over at the crowd of cheering Ravenclaws now leaving the field to head back to the castle. "No… he's got his teammates for that at the moment, so I doubt he'll even miss me. Kylie needs us right now. Come on."

* * *

"This is all your fault, Black!" Toby yelled, throwing down his broom.

"_My _fault!? If _you'd_ just passed me the bloody Quaffle when you were supposed to we wouldn't be in this situation!"

"That's rich! You were too busy showing off for Kylie to actually play the game!"

"I'd have had everything under control if you hadn't decided to throw all our plays out the window!"

"Come on, Sirius, man, relax!" Miguel Vera urged desperately. It was taking his and Ricky Pereira's combined efforts to stop him from lunging at Toby a few feet away while Billy Fencer stood anxiously in front of Toby with his arms held out.

"_That's enough_!" shouted James as he came to a swift landing near by and marched over looking uncharacteristically furious. "Break it up! Right now!"

Gritting his teeth, Sirius took a very reluctant step back, breathing heavily and staring daggers at Toby, who glared back with equal vehemence.

"Billy, Miguel and Ricky, go ahead to the locker room. I'll meet you in a few minutes."

The three of them traipsed off through the mud, visibly relieved. Once they were gone James turned back to Sirius and Toby, eyes aflame.

"Alright. This was a complete disaster for which you are _both_ to blame! And I swear by… _Merlin's… effing… pants _that if you two don't work out your issues off the pitch _I will throw you off the team_! Yes, even you, Sirius!"

"This is bollocks! The only one with _issues_ here is Black-!"

"I don't want to hear it!" James cut him off. "I told you, take care of it _off the pitch._ If you haven't cooled off in time for our next practice then don't bother showing up. I mean it!"

Toby obviously meant to say more but a look from James shut him up quickly. He turned and stormed off to the locker rooms in a huff.

"Nice show of solidarity there, James," snapped Sirius, pushing his wet hair out of his face. "I thought I could at least expect my best friend to have my back."

"Sirius…"

"Don't bother." And with that he too stormed off without another word.

* * *

"Kylie? Are you in here?" Lily called tentatively, peeking around a corner into the girls' locker room.

"If you're trying to drown yourself in the showers we've come to put a stop to it!" added Kimmie, striding into the room determinedly.

"I'm here," Kylie replied feebly. She was seated on a bench still dressed in her bedraggled Quidditch gear, staring at the wall and looking hopelessly dejected.

"Oh boy," Kimmie muttered, shaking her head.

"How are you feeling?" Lily asked as she and Taren moved to sit on either side of her.

"Like I'm dying inside."

"Well that's not melodramatic at all," remarked Taren, smiling.

"I just bungled a major Quidditch match! It's an entirely appropriate emotion to feel!"

"Except you weren't the _only one_ playing," said Lily. "Kylie, everything was against you today. You know it's not your fault-"

"But it _is_! I'm the Seeker and I failed in the one job that I had! I let myself forget about the Snitch for one second and we lost because of it! All I could think about were stupid Sirius and Toby when I should have been worrying about my own performance and for that I… I should be kicked off the team."

"You're joking, right? For one bad match out of what… twelve wins?" asked Kimmie pointedly.

"Every match counts! I shouldn't have let it get to my head… it was completely unprofessional. And being professional is everything to Quidditch!"

Lily and Taren exchanged exasperated looks as they patted her on the back sympathetically.

After several minutes more of consoling her in vain they were joined by James, who, while not _quite_ as desolate-looking as Kylie, still had an aura of defeated resignation about his person. He probably took the loss harder than any of them, even if he didn't show it.

"James!" Kylie cried, bounding over to him and, before he could say anything, burst into a rush of words. "I'm so, so sorry! This is all my fault - I never should have taken my eyes off Simms and I let you down and I'm a terrible, terrible Quidditch player and an even more terrible person and you have every right to throw me off the team right now! In fact, I hope you do because I don't deserve to catch a Snitch ever again!"

A startled James held up a hand to quiet her but was quickly interrupted by a bristling Kimmie. "Oh no you don't! James Potter if you kick Kylie off the team for one bad match I swear I will kick your ass!"

"With my help!" added Lily, moving to stand beside her. "Don't you dare even think about it, Potter!"

"No! Don't listen to them!" Kylie pleaded. "I fully deserve to be banned from Quidditch for life! And probably flogged for good measure!"

"Everyone shut up!" James cried finally. "No one is getting kicked off the team and there will certainly be no… flogging! So would you all please calm down?"

"But-"

"And you're not resigning either, Kylie, so don't even try! Now, I just came in here to have a talk with my Seeker, so ladies, if you don't mind, this meeting should be team members only."

"So you can fire her without us there to defend her? Not a chance," stated Kimmie defiantly.

"Guys, it's okay." This time it was Taren who spoke up, the only one who had remained relatively sedate the whole time. In fact, she seemed rather amused by the situation – there was knowing, mirthful sparkle in her eyes. "Let them talk. We'll be waiting outside."

"Thank you, Taren," said James. She nodded and got up to leave.

"Come along Lily, Kim."

Lily and Kimmie hesitated before casting James one final warning look and slowly followed Taren.

The moment they were gone Kylie started pacing about the room, folding and unfolding her arms and just generally fidgeting uncomfortably. James sighed and leaned against the lockers.

"Alright, first off, I thought you should know at least one good thing has come out of this. I've decided to appoint Winonell as official Keeper – I just spoke with her a minute ago and she's really excited, to say the least. She's probably bouncing off the walls as we speak."

Kylie paused mid-pace and managed a feeble smile. "Good for her. You can count on her, James."

"I know. Now, I understand as Seeker you feel you're to blame for our loss today, but you know I'm not going to cut you from the team. It'd be plain daft of me to do that and ridiculously unfair, considering there were many things that happened today that were completely out of your control." He paused, folding his arms. "But this isn't just about not catching the Snitch, is it?"

Kylie exhaled and sat back down on the bench looking utterly forlorn. "I just…" she began in a small voice. "I just think it would be better for the team right now if I wasn't on it."

"Because of this little... love triangle problem of yours?"

Surprised, Kylie looked up to see him smiling teasingly and let out a laugh in spite of herself. "Oh don't call it that."

"Why not? It seems like a fitting title for the situation," he chuckled.

"A big, fat mess is what I'd call it." Her smile faded once more. "But seriously, James, maybe it would be for the best if I resigned. I've really messed things up. I mean, I was practically leading Toby on, which is ridiculous because it's not like me at all, and I did it just because I knew it would upset Sirius. The entire team dynamic is off and… everything can be laid at my feet."

"Hmm, _perhaps_…" James replied with none-too-subtle sarcastic shrug. "But think about it. Do you really think those two would be any less pissed at each other if you left the team?"

"Oh, well… no…"

"The team would be in the same shape as before, except I'd be Seeker-less."

Kylie couldn't refute him, so she said nothing.

James stood up straight and sighed again. "Look, I know you're going to hold yourself accountable no matter what I say. You and Evans have that in common… always holding the whole world on your shoulders. It must be exhausting, honestly." He laughed at the strange look she gave him at that. "Just… learn it's okay to share the blame for once. Sirius and Toby are just as responsible for their behavior as you or anyone else. If they can't resolve this then that's on them, not you."

Kylie couldn't help but grin. "Wow, that was some… surprising wisdom, considering it came from you."

"I am known for my occasional brilliance, yes."

"So what are going to do?"

"I'll talk to them, of course. If they can't come to some kind of agreement, well, then I really will have to kick someone off the team," he said simply. "However I'm hopeful that it won't come to that." He gave her a pointed look. "But you _know_, I think it would work wonders if you had an honest chat with them yourself. Not at the same time, though! That's a fisticuffs waiting to happen."

She nodded. "I'll try and talk to them."

"Okay. Well then, I should probably leave you to change, considering it's a little awkward I'm in the girls' locker room in the first place, so…"

"He came in here to talk to me once, you know," Kylie said suddenly.

"What? Who?"

She smiled. "Sirius. He managed to arrange a date of sorts with me by surprising me as I came out of the showers."

James burst out laughing. "That sounds like Sirius."

"It wasn't that funny at the time I assure you but, I suppose in hindsight..." she trailed off, shaking her head. "Oh! But I wouldn't advise similar tactics with Lily. I don't think she'd take as kindly to it as I did."

"Duly noted and I'm inclined to agree."

As he made his way out the door Kylie called out to him. "James."

"Yeah?"

"…Thank you. You're a good captain. And… I'm sorry if this has strained things between you and Sirius."

James smiled. "Don't worry. He'll come around."

It was only after he'd left that Kylie realized those were the same words she'd told him not too long ago, and so was left to ponder alone if he'd intended a double meaning.

* * *

"Found him!" Peter declared, pointing eagerly at a spot on the Marauder's Map. "He's in that classroom on the fifth floor near the Gregory the Smarmy statue."

"Great. Thanks Pete," James said as pulled on a sweater that he'd just grabbed off of his bed.

"Are you sure you don't want us to come along?" asked Remus, who was seated at his desk and had an open book in hand. "It might be useful having some back-up when dealing with a volatile Sirius."

James shook his head, smiling. "Won't be necessary. I need to talk to him alone and besides, it's not me he's really angry with. He's probably-"

"Wait," Remus interrupted. "If you're about to say 'he's probably angrier with himself than he is anyone else' then I'm going to have to stop you right there so I can prepare myself for this historic moment. After all, it's not often one gets to hear such deep insight coming from James Potter."

James' face was comically indignant. "First Kylie, now you. I have never made any secret of my wise, all-knowingness. Yet you people are always so shocked!"

"Indeed we are. Have fun with the heart-to-heart," Remus replied, smirking as he mock saluted him.

"I _will_, thank you," James called back facetiously on his way out the door.

It had been more than an hour since the end of the fiasco that was the match, hopefully giving Sirius enough time to simmer down a notch or two. James knew from experience that trying to talk reasonably with a freshly pissed off Sirius was not unlike banging one's head repeatedly against a wall. To avoid the headache, it was best to leave him alone for a while to vent and cool off before any kind of confrontation.

Upon arriving at the right classroom James leaned in the open doorway, knocking on the wood. "Hey, mate."

Sirius cast him only a brief glance from where he sat casually on a stone window seat idly twirling his wand in hand. "Hey," was his monosyllabic reply. He seemed to be staring out the rain-spattered window at nothing in particular, looking brooding, depressed and ill-tempered all at once.

James walked into the room and stood next to a desk, hands in pockets. "So…"

For the longest moment Sirius said nothing, but at James' continued silence he finally let out a frustrated groan. "I'm sorry, all right? I admit it, I screwed up. Is that what you want to hear?"

"Well, sort of… Look, I've already talked to Kylie and she's agreed-"

"Don't tell me you've cut her from the team!" Sirius exclaimed. "This is between me and Randall so you leave Kylie out of this!"

"Why does everyone keep jumping to that conclusion? I haven't cut Kylie. I actually had to convince her _not_ to resign from the team."

"_What?_ Why does she want to resign?"

"She seems to be under the strange impression that two of her teammates are making asses out of themselves on her account."

Scowling, Sirius muttered something inaudible and got up to wander restlessly about the room.

"What's going on with you, man? I've never seen you like this. And it's not just today – you've been acting weirdly for weeks now."

"I just can't stand it!" Sirius cried suddenly. "This Randall and Kylie thing coming out of nowhere!"

James half considered reminding Sirius that he had been acting strange before the "Randall and Kylie thing" had even started, but he let it slide for now.

"He's never looked twice at her before now and it's obvious he doesn't really care about her at all! He's just gonna ditch her the second he gets bored with her! And she – she's gonna let him because she has no idea what kind of person he is!"

"Yeah…" James smiled wryly. "It's almost like he's following your lead."

Sirius glared at him at which James held up his hands apologetically. "Sorry, I just had to say it. But to be fair, Toby's not exactly behaving any differently than you have in the past."

"That's… not the point! This isn't just about my pride, Prongs," Sirius grumbled. An uncharacteristically somber look passed over his face. "She deserves better."

James stared at him, unexpectedly reminded of another time he'd seen a look like that on Sirius' face during the past summer. It was right around when he'd run away to come live with the Potters.

"So tell her that," he said finally. "I don't think you're giving Kylie enough credit. She doesn't need you to look out for her well-being. If she wants to listen to you, great. But if not, you just have to accept it. I mean, don't you think _I_ would've liked nothing better than to knock that prick Kent off his broom today? I didn't because I can exercise a bit of self-restraint."

Sirius was quiet in contemplation, hands stuffed in his slacks. When he finally looked back at James again there was a faint smirk on his face. "This is bizarre, you know. You almost sound like a grown-up."

"Damn, you're right. How the hell did _that_ happen?"

"Who knows? I'd be careful, though – if you keep this up Dumbledore might make you Head Boy."

James snorted. "That would no doubt be a sign of the apocalypse."

"Crazier things have happened," Sirius laughed. After a moment he said, "Okay then, Captain. I'll try to be a good boy from now on. On the pitch, at least." He paused, grimacing. "But I don't have to make nice with Randall, do I?"

"No… you just need to cooperate with him on the pitch and try avoiding the urge to kill him when you see him."

Sirius smiled. "Good. Because there are limits to my self-restraint."

"Brilliant. Now, I don't know about you, but it's gotten way too mature in here. I think we should go steal, break, or blow up something before it rubs off on us."

"Excellent suggestion."

* * *

The next day Kylie decided she would talk to Toby first and get it over with, knowing she was going to have to clear things up with him sooner or later. She felt a bit more in control of things when around Toby at least – he didn't make her tongue-tied or induce frenzied stammering and blushing just by smiling and cocking his head a certain way. With him she had a chance of getting through their upcoming conversation relatively embarrassment-free. Sirius, on the other hand…

She quickly pushed that thought out of her mind, continuing down the halls of Hogwarts. The storm the day before had finally died out over night and now it was just a chilly, overcast Sunday. She hadn't managed to find Toby in any of the usual student haunts around the castle, be it the common room, the Great Hall or the library, and was just about to consider heading outside when she came around a corner and spotted him. He wasn't alone.

_That was quick_, Kylie thought wryly as she took in the sight of Toby so energetically snogging a blond, seventh year Hufflepuff girl it looked like he might swallow her whole.

It didn't bother her, of course, since she was planning on ending ("breaking up" was too strong a word, considering they were never actually together) their flirtation anyway. However, technically, Toby was cheating on her, or at least two-timing her, so Kylie felt no guilt whatsoever about interrupting their little assignation.

"Ahem," she coughed. Neither of them seemed to have heard her so she repeated it, louder and more forcefully. "_Ahem!_"

The couple jumped and quickly extricated themselves from each other, no doubt worried they'd been caught by a prudish teacher or prefect. They both relaxed upon seeing that it was only Kylie, which annoyed her a little.

_He could at least have the decency to look just a bit guilty… Oh wait, there it is: a sheepish smile. It's better than nothing I suppose._

The girl giggled something into Toby's ear and trotted off down the hallway. He smoothed his hair and bent down to pick up a bag of books on the floor.

"Hey Kylie," he greeted awkwardly. "Listen, I meant to tell you. This… thing with you and me – I don't think it's going to work out."

She scoffed. "Shouldn't _I _be the one ditching you? Considering the circumstances?"

He shrugged, avoiding her eyes. "I guess… No hard feelings, then? We both knew we weren't right for each other. If I'd known going in the bag of worms I'd be opening… I never would have gone along with it. But I get it now – you like Sirius. And Sirius always wins these things anyway. I shouldn't have gotten involved. Honestly, it really wasn't worth the trouble," he added, forcing a laugh.

Kylie didn't laugh back. She was too busy being appalled at everything he'd just said and the casual way he'd said it.

"Well, see you around then," he said. And then he was gone, disappearing around a corner before she could tell him what a prat he was, that she _didn't_ like Sirius, that Sirius hadn't _won_ anything, and how stupid his 'bag of worms' metaphor was.

* * *

"'_It wasn't worth the trouble!?_' He actually _said_ that?" Kimmie cried, looking absolutely outraged. Kylie nodded and sipped her pumpkin juice in a disgruntled fashion.

"Talk about tactless," Lily uttered. "Is he here, now?" she asked, looking around the Great Hall. Diners were sparse, which was typical for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Students tended to drift in and out of the Great Hall on weekends, never converging all at once for mealtimes. Plus it was only noon, so a good lot of them were probably sleeping in.

"Yeah, there," Kylie muttered, gesturing towards the Hufflepuff table. "With his new special friend."

Taren grimaced with distaste. "Wow, you're right. It does look like he's trying to swallow her."

"I can't _believe_ he said that…" Kimmie uttered again. "That's just something you don't say to a girl!"

Lily leaned forward over the table and her face took on an unusually mischievous expression. "You know, I think we ought to slip a little surprise in his sheets or something for him to find tonight. How about a bowtruckle? We could easily nick one from Professor Kettleburn's bestiary."

"Ooh, yes! Brilliant idea!" Kimmie whispered with glee. Taren laughed.

"Wouldn't that cause more distress for the poor bowtruckle instead?" she asked.

Kimmie shook her head. "I wouldn't be so sure. Don't you remember how merciless those things were in Care of Magical Creatures last year?"

"You guys don't have to do that," Kylie said, waving the suggestion off appreciatively. "I don't care about getting revenge or anything against Toby."

"But he treated you so poorly!" Lily insisted. "And he isn't even fazed, over there. He's not going to suffer any repercussions at all if we don't do something about it."

"Yes, think about it, Kylie. Justice. Will. Not. Be. Served," Kimmie stated so seriously that for a moment they could all only laugh.

"Okay, I admit, I _am _a bit miffed about the whole thing," Kylie said after her giggles had subsided. "But it was all just a misunderstanding from the start and, well, it's over now. And I just want it to stay over. Let bygones be bygones."

"You're a better person than I am," said Kimmie. "If Casey did that to me I'd have done more than just put bowtruckles in his sheets. I'd also spike his coffee with Babbling Beverage and maybe put a dash of Belch Powder in his supper. Then he'd get the traditional Bulbadox Powder in the pajamas. Or perhaps Wartcap Powder instead? I dunno what would be more fitting…"

Taren chortled. "I hope I never get on your bad side."

"What I don't get is why Toby asked you out in the first place if he was so disinterested. What was his deal?" Lily asked perplexedly. "I always thought he was such a nice guy."

"No, he's just a _typical_ guy," Kimmie declared assuredly. "And as a typical guy, he couldn't help himself. Kylie had that whole fifteen minutes of fame thing going on, when she literally became hot overnight after the Halloween masquerade."

Kylie coughed and nearly choked on her ham sandwich. "I d-didn't! I mean, I wasn't-"

Kimmie waved a dismissive hand. "Don't be silly. You were Hogwarts' It Girl for a while there because the male population here tends to gets bored and restless being confined to the same castle with the same girls for weeks on end, and you were basically a fresh, pretty face and considered to be up for grabs. The fervor only died down because they all seem to have caught on fairly quickly that Sirius already had his eye on you. Only a few, like Toby, for instance, would be stupid enough to risk his, and by extension, the Marauders', wrath."

Kylie stared at her agape but Taren and Lily were nodding in agreement.

"That actually makes sense," Lily said with a light shrug.

"It does. Although you could have just said 'all men are pigs', Kim," added Taren.

"Let's discuss something else, shall we?" Kylie suggested suddenly in a pleading tone. "I'm so sick of talking about boys and the aggravations they cause."

Kimmie winked at her. "Don't fight it, Kylie. Embrace it!"

Kylie rolled her eyes but couldn't fight back a smile. "I think _not_, thank you."

Taren helpfully brought up the subject of the holidays approaching, and they enthusiastically launched into a discussion of what everyone's plans were. None of them would be staying at Hogwarts over the break, as usual, but only Lily and Kylie would be at their own homes for Christmas. Kimmie excitedly told them about her family's plan to go skiing in the Alps, something Kylie found highly amusing as she had never heard of such a bizarre a practice as skiing before. Kimmie was greatly looking forward to seeing her father try it out, considering he was the only other magical person in the family besides Kimmie herself. Her mum had been trying to persuade him to do for it years, Kimmie explained to them, as had her numerous other Muggle relatives, none of whom had any idea that Stanley Denton was a wizard and couldn't understand why he should be so reluctant to join their annual family ski-trips they all enjoyed so much. Mrs. Denton had finally gotten him to cave, and Kimmie promised to bring back plenty of photographs to show them how the memorable occasion would play out.

Taren and her parents were going to be traveling to Australia for Christmas – she had relatives who lived in the beautiful city of Adelaide, where apparently a good portion of the Australian magical population dwelled in secret amongst their oblivious Muggle neighbors. Kylie, meanwhile, was being dragged to a full blown black tie affair her Aunt Pandora was hosting for all her lovely, bigoted friends and a legion of equally snooty Harts. She was absolutely dreading the occasion, but her Aunt was, she said, doing everything short of Imperius-ing her to make sure she showed up at her precious shindig. She had no choice but to attend, dolefully voicing her wish that she could take off at the last minute to Monaco or somewhere instead like her parents no doubt would – they hated the Hart family gatherings as much as Kylie did.

Lily would be enjoying a quiet holiday with her family at their home. It would be quiet, she explained, because Petunia, not wishing to be around the 'freak', had decided to spend Christmas with her new boyfriend instead, meaning there would not be any of the typical arguing and name-calling Lily had to put up with from her sister whenever she was home. She looked so disconsolate telling them this that they spent a good ten minutes trying to console her by vigorously denouncing Petunia as a jealous ninny who didn't deserve to have someone as amazing as Lily for a sister.

To cheer her up further, Kylie promised to come by the Evans' and so they could hang out together as much as possible to make up for Petunia's absence.

"I'll be the sister you ought to have," she beamed. "Until Petunia finally stops being so stupid and comes to her senses. And she will, you know… she has to. One day she's going to regret how she's treated you."

Lily smiled sadly. "I hope you're right."

Kimmie glanced at her watch just then and let out a happy laugh. "Excellent. I'm five minutes late for my meeting with Casey today." She grinned at the quizzical looks they gave her as she stood. "I always like to show up late for my dates. Keeps them on their toes. See you lot later!"

After she'd gone Lily, Taren and Kylie remained chatting about their holiday plans for a while longer before deciding to head up to the library. They had a big theory test the next day in Transfiguration to study for.

"So Kylie," Lily spoke up as they strolled down the corridors. "You didn't say what happened when you spoke to Sirius."

"That's because I haven't spoken to him," she replied after a slight hesitation. "And I don't think I will anytime soon."

"You're not? But I thought you told Potter that you would."

Kylie nodded. "That's correct. I've just changed my mind."

Lily and Taren faltered in their steps, exchanging taken aback looks, before hurrying to catch up with Kylie as she entered the library ahead of them.

"Your reason being what, exactly?" Taren asked, lowering her voice as they passed the librarian, Madam Pince.

Kylie shrugged, her expression an odd mixture of forcibly cheerful and indignant. "Oh, you know. I don't want him to think he's… won, or anything."

She plopped her bag down on a table and marched over to the reference shelves, avoiding their questioning gazes.

"Interesting choice of words," Taren remarked to Lily knowingly as they also placed their belongings on the table.

Lily moved to where Kylie was now perusing the shelves. "This isn't about you being all offended by what Toby said, is it? About Sirius always winning? Because you really shouldn't let it get to you. Toby was just mouthing off to make himself feel better-"

"No, no. What Toby said actually made me realize something," Kylie interjected. "Sirius always needs to win, you see, even if it means screwing up a Quidditch match. And if I go and smooth things over with him he's just going to think he _has_ won."

Lily was so baffled she wanted to laugh. "What exactly are you so worried about him _winning_ anyway? None of this makes any sense to me."

"I… it's hard to explain, alright?" Kylie sputtered, flushing. "It'll just be like I've given in."

"No it wouldn't," Lily pressed. "It'll be you two resolving your issues maturely and sensibly."

Kylie jutted out her chin stubbornly. "I don't want him to think that every time he _doesn't_ get his way he can simply go and pick fights with people and be aggressive and moody and disagreeable until the situation morphs into one more to his liking!"

"So you're just going to go back to running and hiding whenever he walks into a room?" Lily asked in exasperation. "I hate to break it to you, Kylie, but when it comes down do it, Hogwarts can be a pretty small place and you're going to have to face him at some point. Wouldn't you rather get it over with now?"

"No!" Kylie said, more loudly than she had intended. She looked around anxiously and lowered her voice. "Look, I assure that I will, _eventually_, talk to him. But there's no hurry to do it! There's no Quidditch practice before the holidays so it'll be fine for me to put it off until we come back next term. It may even teach him a lesson!"

"That's dubious, at best," Lily said as they both grabbed books off of the shelves.

"Frankly, I'd like to know why you're so concerned about me keeping a promise to James. This is his idea, after all," Kylie retorted as she whirled around and headed back to their table.

This time Lily did laugh. "Don't go changing the subject, now! We both know this is about more than just Quidditch." She sidled along next to Kylie, smiling knowingly. "You're just looking for any excuse to not be alone with Sirius."

"I agree with Lily," Taren said as they arrived at the table.

Kylie gave her an annoyed look. "You haven't even heard the whole argument!"

She smiled up at them. "I think I got the gist of it."

"Oh you're both impossible," Kylie muttered petulantly as she slumped down in her seat.

* * *

The final week of term came and went, and Kylie had made good on her decision to not speak to Sirius, much to the amusement and frustration of her friends. Kimmie at one point had suggested that they contrive to lock the two in a room together and force a confrontation, but Lily had felt too guilty and warned Kylie about it at the last minute. Therefore that plan was quickly nipped in the bud.

It had not, however, been particularly difficult to avoid Sirius during the past week. Although she caught him gazing her way once or twice in classes or in the common room, he hadn't approached her or made any overt attempts to get her attention. If she didn't know any better she might have guessed he was back to normal – as in, maybe this strange phase of him being 'interested' in her was finally over.

She _did_ know better, though, at least enough to understand from watching him all these years that Sirius lived for a challenge and that she had somehow become the latest one for him to overcome. Whenever she spotted him surreptitiously looking her way or smiling in a thoughtful, off-handed manner whenever he caught her eye, it only roused her suspicions.

_But of course he's up to something_, Kylie thought to herself again as she disembarked from the Hogwarts Express onto Platform 9¾ and made her way along with the crowd to pass through the magical barrier into the rest of King's Cross Station. She spotted Sirius a few meters away with James. The both of them were already greeting James' kindly looking parents who had enveloped their only son in a bone-crushing hug the second they could reach him, much to his mortification and Sirius' enjoyment. Of course, they then proceeded to hug Sirius with just as much enthusiasm, and it was his turn to be embarrassed and temporarily deprived of oxygen.

It was one of those affecting scenes you couldn't help but smile at, so Kylie quickly looked away before someone caught her doing so. She turned her attention instead to the sight of each of her friends running to greet their respective families. Lily was quite happily embracing her parents without a trace of embarrassment, Kylie noted – she was just that type of carry-her-emotions-on-her-sleeve person.

"Oh, I've missed you!" they all seemed to be crying at the same time.

"And here's little Kylie!" Lily's mum cried with delight.

"Hi Mr. and Mrs. Evans," she said, beaming as she too was pulled in for a warm hug.

"Oh, look at you! It's been months since we last saw you, hasn't it? You're growing up so beautifully!" Mrs. Evans declared, nudging her husband proudly. "Ned, aren't our two girls here becoming such lovely young ladies?"

Lily rolled her eyes affectionately while Kylie shuffled her feet, touched that Mrs. Evans considered her to be theirs. In a way it was true, since over the past summer holidays Kylie had spent more time with them than she ever had with her own parents.

Mr. Evans laughed heartily. "They must be beating the boys off with sticks! Or wands, rather."

"You have no idea," Lily said, catching Kylie's eye with a grin.

Not long later Kylie felt a light tapping on her shoulder and turned to see the familiar sight of her beloved and put-upon housekeeper Mrs. Eliot, faithfully waiting to take her home.

"It's good to see you, Mrs. Eliot," she said, hugging her tightly.

"And you, my dear," she replied, giving her the worried and guilty look that always accompanied what she was about to say next. "Your parents-"

"Couldn't make it, I know," Kylie finished for her.

Mrs. Eliot fussily tucked a wayward strand of Kylie's hair behind her ear and said, "Alright then, all set?"

"Yeah, I just need to say goodbye to my friends."

The car was waiting for them at the curb when Kylie and Mrs. Eliot came out of the station and her family's driver of sixteen years, a friendly but pompous old gentleman called Harold, promptly took her trunk and held open the door for them.

As she waited for Mrs. Eliot to get in before her, Kylie looked around and happened to glimpse the Potter family again, walking across the parking lot still accompanied by Sirius. For a second she was confused, but then she remembered what Remus had told her months ago.

_He really has run away from home…_

Sirius glanced up and their eyes met, as if he'd overheard her thinking about him, and with a nod he sent that enigmatic smile her way once more. In response she straightened her shoulders and tilted her chin haughtily.

_You won't win me, Sirius Black. I'm nobody's conquest._

To complete the image of a disdainful and untouchable society witch, she flipped back her hair from her face and lowered herself gracefully into the car. Halfway there her heel got stuck in a crack of the pavement, causing her to lose her balance and topple clumsily onto the leather seats, but hopefully he hadn't seen that.

* * *

The Christmas party at her Aunt Pandora's gothic Wiltshire manor, Heathton Court, was every the bit the nightmare Kylie dreaded it would be. There was hardly anything Christmas-ey about it – it was rather more like a typical wizarding cocktail party that just happened to be held on December 25th. There weren't even decorations, although Kylie decided she might as well be grateful that there had not been any mistletoe hanging anywhere.

For the duration of the party she mostly flitted about the over-sized and supremely elegant drawing room, keen not to stay in the same place for too long less someone strike up a conversation she would prefer not to have, stifled in her uncomfortable heels and gaudy dress robes her Aunt had picked out for her. She'd actually sent them as a Christmas present earlier that morning with a curt message on the card saying, "I thought you might like something to wear to the party tonight, in case you hadn't found something appropriate on your own." That loosely translated to, "Wear it or else." Merlin forbid Kylie embarrassed Madam Pandora Hart at her own party by being unfashionable.

She understood her Aunt's anxiety, though, and resented it appositely. Being the daughter of a Muggleborn in the exalted Hart family meant she had had a strike against her from the moment she was born, and everyone expected her to be innately flawed in some way. They _expected_ her to do something like showing up at a swanky party dressed in street rags, or worse, Muggle clothes. Of course, their attitude towards her was downright welcoming compared to the treatment her mother received. Hyun Hart was not only a Muggleborn, but also Korean and an American – three distinct strikes against her.

Thinking about that, Kylie supposed she couldn't really blame her parents for pulling out at the last minute, just like she'd predicted to her friends (she'd just been wrong about the country – they'd taken off to the French Riviera, not Monaco, after spending a brief Christmas morning with their daughter.) Already she had counted six separate occasions where she'd overheard witches or wizards (mostly witches) unreservedly maligning her mother behind her back like it was some kind of twisted competition to see who could smear the best. It was as if Hyun's absence from the party gave everyone free reign to say whatever they wanted in carrying whispers they _had_ to know Kylie could hear.

When she got home to her parents own Gloucestershire manor that night she owled a long letter to Lily heartily complaining all about it, and she was happily consoled by her prompt reply the next morning. Kylie had Harold drive her over to her house and they spent the day hanging out, enjoying Mrs. Evans' delicious cooking and going over all the presents they'd gotten.

Amongst their group of friends Kylie and Lily had both given and received gifts ranging from books (usually Quidditch related for Kylie, and spellwork related for Lily), to boxes of chocolate frogs and cauldrons and other various magical knickknacks like broom compasses and spell-checking feather quills. Lily revealed that James had sent her a present also: a bracelet of, what else, interconnecting golden water lilies. Kylie thought it was quite lovely, but of course Lily refused to wear it, only allowing herself to admire it pensively before putting it away in her trunk. There was a peculiar moment when Kylie realized Sirius had not sent her anything, and a flutter of disappointment took her by surprise. She snapped out of it quickly enough.

As the holiday went by they took turns hanging out at each other's homes, playing in the snow in Kylie's extensive yard, writing letters together to send to Kimmie and Taren, watching Muggle movies late at night (which Kylie had been introduced to by Lily years earlier – they were both diehard fans of the black-and-white classics), taking a brief shopping trip to Diagon Alley (brief because it wasn't that safe for two teenage girls to be out and about too long due to the ever growing threat of You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters) and speculating about what their next term at Hogwarts would bring. All in all, it was proving to be a typical Christmas break.

But then New Year's Eve arrived, and with it an unexpected visitor.

"Kylie darling, are you in here?"

"Yes, come in."

Kylie looked up from her desk to see her gorgeous-as-usual mother sweeping into her bedroom. She was looking particularly stylish that evening, dressed in a couture Muggle-style black dress, strappy heels and elegantly bejeweled. Her long curtain of dark hair, so like her daughter's, was swept up into an elaborate chignon, and went nicely with her brand new tan, courtesy of a few days sunning in the Riviera.

"Finishing up your homework for next term?" she asked affectionately, slipping on a pearl earring.

Kylie nodded awkwardly. "Yeah, except I'm sort of just starting it now…"

"Oh, that's fine. You still have plenty of time before school starts again," she said cheerily, coming over to stand near the desk. "Now, your father and I will be at the Fitzroy townhouse till after midnight. Mrs. Eliot is going to be here, of course, but if you need us for any reason or emergency, just Floo right over, alright? Ask for the kitchen because there are going to be a few Muggles there and, well, it might be a cause for shock if someone came bursting out of the sitting room fireplace."

"Okay, Mum. I'll remember that," Kylie replied, wondering amusedly why her parents thought she still needed babysitting when she was less than a year away from coming of age.

"Are you sure you don't want to come? There will be a few kids there your age, you know."

"Thanks, but no, I'd rather just stay in. New Year's Eve parties aren't really my thing…"

"Honey, don't worry about not having a date. You're bound to find a boy there who'll want to kiss you at midnight," her mother teased.

Kylie flushed, feeling just a tad mortified that her mother had so easily guessed the exact reason for her refusal to go. "N-no, really, Mum," she stammered out quickly. "I'm fine. I just want to get started on my homework."

Hyun sighed, her eyes twinkling. "Okay, if you're sure…"

Randolph Hart poked his just-beginning-to-gray head into the doorway just then. "Ready to go, dear? If we Apparate to that park around the corner from their house we'll be able to walk in fashionably late, just the way you like."

Hyun beamed at her husband. "Perfect! Well, we're off then, honey," she said, and leaned down to kiss the top of Kylie's head.

"Aw, you couldn't convince her to come?" Randolph asked, disappointed. "You _did_ tell her there's going to be plenty of boys there to-"

"_Yes_, Dad, she told me."

They chuckled at their own little joke and Kylie couldn't help but join in after a brief moment of embarrassed pouting. Her parents' constant joviality tended to be infectious like that.

"Have a good time," she called as they left, Hyun's flowery perfume lingering in the air.

For the next two hours Kylie continued pouring over her textbooks on rune translations and busily scratching away at her parchment with her brand new spell-checking quill that she'd gotten from Taren. She knew Lily was probably doing the same thing at her house because they'd both discovered just how much holiday homework they had earlier that day when they decided they ought to get started with it. Content as they were to just relax during the past week, it had been easy to forget that they were N.E.W.T. students.

It was past ten when Kylie stopped to rest her aching wrist, and she leaned back in her chair to stretch. There was a light knocking on the door and the family house elf walked in clad in a clean, toga-like towel with her little hands clasped together subserviently.

"Does Miss Kylie require anything before I retire?" she asked politely in a sweet, high-pitched voice.

"Oh, no thank you, Dotty. You can go to bed if you like," Kylie said, smiling. Dotty smiled back and closed the door behind her. Kylie had always been uncomfortable about owning a house elf, and knew her parents felt similarly, considering they only had one and not dozens like some wizard families. Dotty, for her part, seemed happy with her lot in life, and Kylie had to assume it was for the best - she was probably treated better than most house elves.

"I think I'll call it a day as well," she muttered to herself as she got up from her chair and started turning some off the lights. Her bedroom was everything one might expect in a Tudor period manor house; spacious but so ornate it felt almost cluttered. Nearly all the furniture was antique, passed down from generations of Harts. She had added her own little touches over the years to make it homier, such as changing the color scheme to whites and pale blues and peachy creams as well as plastering the walls with photographs of her friends, Quidditch related newspaper and magazine cutouts and Gryffindor banners. The end result was a room less like somewhere Marie Antoinette might have slept, and more like a real teenage witch's bedroom.

Sitting in front of her vanity and busily brushing out her hair, Kylie didn't take much notice of a faint, rumbling noise coming from outside. There was a country road not far from the manor and it was not unusual to hear the occasional passing car. The one she heard now sounded like it might be a powerful sports car tearing along miles over the speed limit.

Frowning, she placed her brush on the table and listened. Yes, the sound was definitely getting louder - a little too loud to be coming from the road. Was someone pulling into the driveway?

She stood and opened one of her windows, searching for lights along the long, gravel drive stretching into the darkness away from the manor and seeing none. The roaring was becoming even louder by the second, and with a start she realized it seemed to be emanating from above.

Something was _flying_ towards the manor.

She could see it now, a dark shape against the star-strewn sky, descending at an alarming rate and increasing in size as it did. Was it someone on a broomstick? No, of course not, broomsticks didn't make that kind of noise. It was definitely some kind of enchanted flying vehicle, with a single headlight.

Suddenly, the vehicle zoomed over her head and she heard a muffled thud through the ceiling. It had landed on the tower battlements directly above her room.

Both alarmed and fiercely curious, Kylie raced out into the hallway and up the tightly spiraling staircase to the top of tower. There she burst out of the door with her wand held aloft and demanded in the most aggressive voice she could muster, "Who's there? Show yourself!"

"Happy New Year, Kylie," greeted an amused and most familiar voice. And there he was, calmly shaking back his windswept hair and flashing a roguish grin.

"_Sirius?_" she gasped, utterly flummoxed. "What in the blazes do you think you're doing crashing onto my… my…"

Her eyes, having adjusted to the darkness, fell on the vehicle that Sirius was now nimbly hopping off of onto the cobbled stone floor, and she completely lost track of what she meant to say.

It was an enormous black motorcycle. Glinting with reflected starlight and humming with pent up energy, Kylie thought it one of the most magnificent things she had ever seen in her life. It even rivaled her first glimpse of Hogwarts crossing the lake as a first year. With a dreamy expression appropriate to having been recently walloped by a Bludger, she continued to stare at it for several seconds, mouth slightly open.

"I take it you're impressed." Sirius' light laughter seemed to be coming from a long way away and pulled her back down to reality.

"H-how – where did you…?"

"A gift my Uncle Alphard left me a few years back," he said in explanation. He folded his arms and leaned against the bike, watching her with a lazy smile and looking more handsome than ever. Seeing him there, cutting such a striking figure in the moonlight, Kylie suddenly wished she were wearing something more glamorous than a plain jumper and jeans.

"So…" she began, earnestly trying not to lose her train of thought because merely looking at him tonight was distracting. "Now that you've probably woken the entire house, mind telling me what you're doing here? In the middle of the night no less?" She furrowed her brow perplexedly. "And how did you even know where I _live_?"

"It's not that hard to find out, especially if you know who to ask," he answered mysteriously. A playful spark glimmered in his eye.

Understanding dawned on her, and she wondered why she hadn't realized it instantly. "You asked one of my friends! Ooh, I bet it was Kimmie. It _was_, wasn't it?"

He shrugged nonchalantly, looking very pleased with himself. "…Maybe. Anyway, that doesn't matter right now." He unfolded his arms to rest his hands against the bike, the mischievousness in his face turning into something more thoughtful. "I'm here to apologize, Kylie."

"Er – what?"

He chuckled at the blatant surprise in her face. "I mean it – I'm sorry for the way I acted over the whole… Randall thing. And for being such a prat and ruining the match. I let it get out of hand and… yeah, I'm sorry."

She eyed him warily but could find nothing in his voice or demeanor that seemed feigned. She didn't like admitting it, but he was being sincere.

"I…" She hesitated, folding her arms. Forgiving him now seemed far too early, and a part of her stubbornly wanted to keep being angry at him for a long time yet. But it occurred to her how difficult it must have been for him to forego his pride like that and admit that he'd made a mistake. Finally, with deep resignation, she said, "Alright, apology accepted."

The warm smile was back - he was looking at her in an entirely different way now. Heat flushed her cheeks despite the chilly night air and she forced herself not to meet his eyes. She knew she shouldn't have forgiven him so easily! He _must_ have known what kind of effect he'd have showing up on a flying motorcycle – it had softened her mood towards him more efficiently than a Cheering Charm.

_Well played, Sirius…_ She shifted self-consciously, hoping the darkness was obscuring her blushing features. "Is that all, then?"

"I was also hoping to make it up to you."

She gave him a guarded look. "How so?"

"There's a place I wanted to show you tonight. If you'll permit me to take you there."

She sighed, looking away. "Sirius, I can't…"

"It's not far – you'll be back home before you know it." After a brief pause he added teasingly, "And I swear I won't try anything _untoward_."

Indecision warred within her and Kylie found she was completely torn. The sensible choice, of course, was to say no. She only had to remember how well being alone with Sirius had gone in the past to know _that_. But then again, something was definitely different tonight. He didn't seem to have any other agenda besides 'making it up to' her.

She had to quickly remind herself that this was Sirius Black she was dealing with, who would always have something up his sleeve or mischief on the mind. This was practically a date he was asking her out on, wasn't it? And hadn't she sworn to herself that she wasn't going to let him win?

_What are you so afraid of him winning, anyway?_

Lily's words came back to her, echoing in her head, along with her realization that she wasn't sure, really, what the answer to that question was. She wanted to groan in frustration – why couldn't she seem to think straight anymore? Sirius had made such a mess of her once perfectly organized and content little life. Things were convoluted enough between them as it was. Did she really want to risk complicating everything further?

_But what if he really just wants to show me something? It might even be fun – something I wouldn't want to miss out on. Honestly, what harm could it be?_

"You still there, Kylie?"

Startled, she realized she'd been standing there without saying a word for over a minute, and Sirius was smirking ever so slightly, like he knew exactly what was going on in her head at that moment. With deliberate slowness he reached towards the bike, his gray eyes never leaving hers, and patted the seat invitingly.

"Come on, Kylie. Let's go for a ride."

Clapping a hand over her mouth to cover up the silly grin that had appeared there, Kylie suddenly knew that her mind was made up (if it hadn't already been made up for her from the start). "Damn it, Sirius! This isn't even fair, _you_ turning up on… _that!_" she exclaimed, gesturing at the motorcycle with annoyance. "You knew I wouldn't be able to…"

She couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence, so he did it for her in that maddeningly perceptive way of his.

"Resist?"

"_Fine_, I'll go," she declared with a fierce glare to counter the triumph lighting up Sirius' face. She turned on her heel so quickly that her hair swung about wildly and slouched towards the doorway. "Let me just grab some warmer clothes."

"You won't regret it!" he called out as she descended the stairwell.

* * *

She returned a few minutes later, wearing velvety boots, gloves and a woolly pea coat. Sirius watched her hurriedly pull on a snug knitted hat over her ears, wondering again why it had taken him so many years to notice this girl. Even now, with that irritable pout on her face, she had never looked cuter. Kylie had initially caught his attention with that incredible dress at the masquerade, of course, but he was finding now that she was no less appealing to him trussed up from head to toe in bulky winter clothes.

Another one of those adorable blushes flared up when she glanced up and caught him admiring her so openly, and he was sorely tempted to kiss her right then and there.

Instead he merely smiled and settled himself astride the motorcycle. Kissing Kylie would have to wait if he didn't want to scare her off tonight.

"Hop on," he bid her, gathering from her tentative approach that it was only just dawning on her now how close they would be to each other on the bike.

"You're absolutely certain this is safe?" she asked. He could feel her fingers trembling from nervous anticipation when she lightly gripped his arm to balance herself as she swung a leg over the pillion seat.

"Well, if I was 'absolutely' certain of that, it wouldn't be nearly as much fun to ride," he replied buoyantly. "Does that answer your question?"

"Don't be stupid," she muttered, but he caught her brief smile in the side view mirror.

"I won't let anything happen to you," he added a moment later. "But I can't make any guarantees you won't go tumbling off the back if you're not going to hold on any tighter than that."

He bit back a laugh as she let out a flustered noise and moved her arms more securely around his waist. She'd only just been scantily grasping the back of his leather jacket before.

"Hang on," he said, and he kicked the engine into life. With a dragon-like roar the motorbike reared up and took off into the sky, and Kylie let out a stifled yelp near his ear as her grip tightened considerably. So swift was the bike's ascent that the manor vanished from sight within seconds, and soon they were soaring hundreds and hundreds of feet high.

Kylie's tension had long since ebbed away, and he could tell she was now delighting in the experience of flying as free as a bird at speeds no broomstick could hope to match. A peal of laughter escaped her lips and in the side view mirror he saw her face over his shoulder, alight with excitement.

Sirius grinned against the cold night wind, also enjoying himself immensely and not just because he liked the feel of her against him. He knew that any girl who loved Quidditch as much Kylie would jump at the chance to go flying on an enchanted motorcycle - flying made her feel alive and free like nothing else. It was a feeling Sirius understood well.

The bike's heating charm kept them sufficiently warm, and on they flew under an endless canopy of stars, streaking past hills and plains and the occasional town visible only by the twinkling spider web of lights from windows, cars and streetlamps. The whole world seemed to be laid out before them.

They had been flying for little over an hour when a much larger collection of lights appeared in the distance, so much larger that it could only be a city. As they grew nearer and the buildings and streets became more distinct beneath them, Kylie seemed to recognize it.

"We're going to London?" she yelled above the roar of the engine and the rushing wind.

"Yeah!" he shouted back. "We're nearly there!"

"But the Muggles! Won't they see us?"

"Doubt it!" Sirius laughed, not the least bit concerned. "They'll all be too smashed to notice!"

Even as he said it he checked the magical compass in the dashboard, which did far more than just point north, and directed the bike into a sudden plunge towards the earth. Kylie cried out again and her fingers dug into the front of his jacket. They were hurtling towards the ground now at what seemed like an incredibly reckless speed, and Sirius felt her tense up again as though bracing for impact. But the bike touched down in an impossibly smooth landing and settled comfortably on a sloped rooftop.

"You can let go now, Kylie," he said, quite calmly powering down the engine.

Kylie's vice-like hold around his middle eased instantly and her shaky legs nearly gave way beneath her as she got off onto the uneven ground.

"Easy, you've still got your sea legs," he said in amusement as he shot out an arm to steady her.

"I'm quite alright," she replied with dignity, slightly out of breath. Her cheeks were pink with cold, but the glow left over from their exhilarating flight was plain as day in her face. The bright streets and buildings of London stretched out in every direction, and her eyes widened when she realized what rooftop they had landed on.

"Isn't this the Muggle Parliament building?" she gasped.

Sirius nodded and leaned against the elaborate stone parapets. "We're on Victoria Tower. I thought we might have the best view from here."

"View of what? The city?" she asked, eagerly peering over the edge and trying to look everywhere at once. It seemed like every landmark in Central London was visible from their lofty perch – there was Big Ben, gleaming from the northern end of the palace, London Bridge, Parliament Square, Westminster Abbey, Royal Albert Hall and even further off, the roof of Buckingham Palace. Thousands of New Year's Eve revelers crowded the streets, singing and laughing in that blithely untroubled way only Muggles seemed capable of these days.

Sirius shrugged, "Well, that… and the fireworks, of course."

"Oh, the New Year fireworks!" Kylie checked her wristwatch. "It's nearly midnight – we're just in time to see them!"

"That was the idea," Sirius said with an easy smile.

The look she gave him was an oddly appraising one, as if she'd just made an unexpected discovery and couldn't decide whether to be impressed or mystified and so had settled on an emotion halfway between the two.

"You never fail to surprise, Sirius," she said at last. "I mean, this was…" She laughed softly like she couldn't believe what she was about to say, "_thoughtful_ of you."

"You're welcome," he said, grinning. He climbed further up the gently sloping roof and flopped himself down. "You should have a seat. They're starting any minute now."

She seemed to waver for a moment, one hand rubbing at her shoulder reticently, and then gradually moved to sit beside him. There she drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them in a clearly protective manner. Sirius watched her out of the corner of his eye, wondering if she was afraid he would go for a kiss when Big Ben struck twelve, like all those couples on the streets would shortly be doing.

"You can relax, Kylie," he chuckled, lying back and curling his arms behind his head. "I did promise not to try anything with you tonight, remember?"

Merlin, he loved it when she blushed. He'd never seen anyone do it as charmingly – or frequently – as she did, and he liked to think he was the only person who could elicit such strong reactions from her.

Their attention was diverted a second later, when a great shout of "Happy New Year!" rang out from the streets below accompanied by Big Ben's resounding chimes. Flaming rockets sped up into the open sky over the Thames and erupted in a cacophony of light and sound, drowning out the Muggles' approving cheers. The roof of Victoria Tower definitely proved itself to be the ideal viewing point, as Sirius and Kylie watched the fireworks ignite in a dazzling array of shapes in every color imaginable. Brilliantly red comets darted in every direction like shooting stars, silver and purple willows and palms sprouted amongst sparkling green bees, starry blue crosettes and silver fish and spinners, and peonies fanned out like massive, blossoming flowers that sprayed showers of golden rain.

"Not bad," Sirius noted. "Definitely not Dr. Filibuster's standard, but still entertaining."

Kylie smiled, adjusting her posture to lean back so that she was propped up by her palms. "_Nothing _can compete with Filibuster's fireworks."

They continued to watch the show in appreciative silence for several minutes more, the only sounds around them being the bangs, whistles and crackles of the exploding fireworks, faint whooping from the crowds, and drunken versions of Auld Lang Syne being warbled out here and there.

"Sirius?"

He glanced at Kylie, seeing the blazing lights reflected in her eyes – she seemed pensive all of a sudden.

"Why did you run away from home?"

He blinked in surprise – of all the questions she could have asked that was the last one he had expected.

"I didn't mean to pry," she uttered quickly upon seeing the look on his face. "You don't have to answer; I'm not even sure why I asked-"

"No… it's alright." He grimaced just a little – a reflex he couldn't help whenever his thoughts drifted to the family he had turned his back on for good nearly five months ago. "How did you know I'd run away?"

"…Remus mentioned it once… but I also noticed you went home with the Potters back at King's Cross," she answered, looking slightly nervous that she had brought up an obviously delicate issue without thinking.

Sirius nodded, understanding, and sat up. Leaning an elbow against his knee, he stared out at the fireworks, and felt Kylie's eyes on him as he pondered what to say. Normally this was a subject he avoided in conversation at all costs, even with James, but he was feeling strangely receptive tonight. Perhaps it was something in her voice when she'd asked – that note of simple, innocent curiosity – that compelled him to answer now.

"I was just sick of my family. The whole lot of them," he said finally. "My scumbag of a father and hateful, venomous mother… I couldn't stand another minute of their twisted, pureblood mania or their holier-than-thou superiority complex. Or being reminded yet again what a disappointment of a son I was."

"Disappointment?" Kylie asked, taken aback. "But you're a straight O student. You're good at everything!"

He laughed sourly. "Schoolwork doesn't count nearly as highly in my family as loyalty. Or rather, blood loyalty. If you don't hold to their purification of the wizarding race philosophy then you're a traitor, simple as that."

Kylie looked dismayed. "I… I had no idea that's what your home life was like."

"Come on, Kylie, you've met my brother and a few of my cousins at Hogwarts. They ought to have given you an accurate impression of the '_Noble and Most Ancient House of Black_,'" Sirius said brusquely, imitating the pretentious voice of his father.

"Yes, I've met them. I just thought they were, well… bad eggs…"

He scoffed bitterly. "Nah, they've fulfilled all my family's hopes and expectations. According to my parents the only bad egg is me. And my cousin Andromeda, of course. She was disowned for marrying a Muggleborn."

Kylie sighed and didn't speak for a long moment. "I'm sorry."

Sirius looked at her, faintly surprised. "For what?"

"I've made assumptions about you that were unfair."

He snorted. "No you haven't."

"Yes, I have!" she insisted. "I've always thought you were just a typical spoiled and pampered rich kid… who's had everything handed to you on a silver platter. I had this image of you with doting parents who never bothered to discipline you and just let you run wild. But you've had to overcome a lot. You've actually turned out…" Kylie paused, suddenly seeming to realize what she was saying, and promptly reddened. "I mean – t-that is to say - compared to others - you're really quite… You could have turned out a lot worse!" she finally stammered out, looking everywhere but at him.

Sirius laughed without a trace of bitterness this time. "Why thank you, Kylie. I'm flattered that you think so."

"I'm not _absolving_ you of everything, you know," she said quickly. "You're still an arrogant prat."

"I know," he said slyly. "Whatever will you do with me?"

Her eyes flashed at him, and she pursed her lips as though she'd intended to say something but had thought better of it at the last second. Instead she busied herself with watching the fireworks once more.

"_So_," he began in a deceptively casual voice. "Now that I've bared my soul and all, I think it's only fair that you have a turn at it."

"What?" She glanced at him, uncomprehending, but he merely stared back, brows raised expectedly.

"Oh come on," she scoffed. "That hardly constituted 'baring your soul'."

He said nothing as he stretched and lay back down on the roof comfortably, smiling in a satisfied sort of way. At his continued silence she eventually gave in.

"What do you want to know?" she muttered with a resigned sigh.

He shrugged and smiled indolently. "Oh I dunno... tell me about _your_ family. What are they like?"

"I can't talk about them _now_," she mumbled after a brief hesitation, looking discomfited for some reason.

"Why not?"

"Well, I'd… feel stupid griping about my family. My complaints are pretty lame compared to yours." She faltered, looking thoughtful. "Don't get me wrong, I can't stand a good majority of my relatives either. They're also walking old-wizard-family stereotypes fixated on blood purity. But I really don't have to deal with them that much except for the rare holiday party." She smirked. "The worst they can do is gossip about me because of my mum. Or whine about Knightly Park."

"Your house?"

She nodded absently. "My cousin Richard and his wife don't think a Muggleborn's kid like me should inherit the place because it's one of those 'historic wizarding heritage sites', or some other such nonsense. And the irony of it all is that I don't even want the place. I'm just going to find myself a nice flat somewhere once I'm done with school and…" She trailed off, looking embarrassed. "Sorry, I'm going off on a tangent now. I'm probably boring you…"

"No, you're not," Sirius replied with perfect honesty. He empathized with her completely, knowing he would be glad if never again set foot in the pokey old Black family home down on Grimmauld Place.

"My Aunt Pandora probably feels the same way. She's the one who keeps dragging me to all the family get-togethers and I don't know why she bothers. I don't fit it with any of them and it's…" Kylie sighed deeply. "Painfully obvious. Although my Uncle Cyrus isn't so bad, come to think of it – he's my dad's brother, and probably the only one who accepted his marriage to my mum without a fuss. He's actually a decent guy, so I'll never understand why he married Pandora… they're nothing alike."

"They probably had an arranged marriage," said Sirius. "Happens a lot in the old families, even today."

"Hmm, I suppose… Didn't you say earlier that you're uncle left you that bike?

"Alphard, yeah. He left me everything he owned when he died. So I'm assuming he must have liked me, even though we only ever spoke together a few times. I'm not complaining, though," he added with a fond glance at his bike parked nearby. "What about your parents?"

"My parents?"

"You haven't mentioned them yet."

"That's, well, what I feel stupid about," she said awkwardly. "I've always thought I had it so rough, with all these snobby relatives and… parents who I hardly ever see. But I'm lucky compared to you. I can't imagine them ever becoming so unbearable that I'd have to run away."

"What's so bad about them?"

"They're good people that are just… oblivious, if you know what I mean. Always off in their own in little world together. The reason I hardly see them is because they're globetrotting all the time, fancying themselves adventurers of sorts. I know they don't mean any harm by it – they're free spirits, so they can't help themselves. But I've always resented it. I mean, my _housekeeper_ knows me better than they do." Kylie shook her head and smiled in spite of herself. "And of course, whenever they _are_ home they're always so nice and lively and… _fun_, so I forget I was ever mad at them in the first place. You see, now, why I feel stupid?"

"I guess," Sirius chuckled, not sure what to make of the matter. "Why don't you just talk to them about it?"

She snorted in a self-deprecating fashion. "Because I'm one of those idiotic people who likes to complain to everyone _but_ the people I actually have a problem with."

"You don't say," he said, grinning. Kylie glanced at him fleetingly, fighting back her own smile.

"Why do you want to know all this stuff about me, anyway?" she asked. "It can't honestly be all that interesting…"

"Maybe I was looking to prove a point…" he said furtively.

"Okay, Sirius, I'll humor you," she replied, smirking. "What point is that?"

"Only that you and I actually have a lot in common."

Neither of them spoke a word for a long moment, and a cloud seemed to pass over her face as she turned away from him. The fireworks show had ended, leaving the night feeling oddly quiet.

"Why won't you go out with me, Kylie?" He wasn't frustrated or even angry. Just simply curious.

"…You _know_ why, Sirius."

"I'm not sure I do."

She let out a tiny groan. "Look, I thought I'd already made it clear to you that I have no intention of becoming just another," – he half imagined he could feel heat emanating from her, she was blushing so fiercely - "…_notch in your bedpost!_"

To his credit he only laughed a little bit. "Sorry, a… a 'notch in my bedpost'?"

"Don't play dumb, you know exactly what I mean," she muttered with a swift glower in his direction.

"Oh, I do, but I think you might have the wrong idea about-"

"Isn't it true that in the past you've only ever been interested in girls for one thing and one thing only?"

"Well, _yeah_, but-"

"And isn't it _also_ true that once you've gotten that _one thing _you never so much as look at those girls or even deign to remember that they exist?"

"Maybe, yeah, but that's a slight exaggeration-"

"So you admit it! Yet you still wonder why I'm not the least bit interested!"

A wry, lopsided grin broke out on his face. "Now _that _is not entirely true."

"And there's another reason to add to the list," she said irreverently. "Your atrociously overblown _ego_."

He shook his head, still smiling. "Kylie, if you weren't the 'least bit interested', you would never have agreed to come with me tonight."

A staggered expression came over her features as she took in his pronouncement and its implications. "_No_, I – that's just – completely ridiculous-" she sputtered, forcing a nervous laugh.

"It's your turn to confess, Kylie," he said triumphantly. "You're attracted to me and you know it. Go on, admit it."

The glare she shot him was most impressive in its ferocity, and if he'd been any other guy it probably would have reduced him to ash. But he met her gaze head on, and she finally exclaimed, looking furious with herself, "_Fine! _So what if I am?"

"And you liked it when I snogged you, too," he added brazenly.

"Not _nearly_ enough to cast aside my self-respect! I'm not going to jump into something that I know I'll regret just to have a bit of short-lived fun!"

"We're teenagers, Kylie," he chortled. "That's how we're supposed to have fun."

"Maybe _some_ teenagers," she uttered with a frown, surprising him as she got to her feet and climbed down to stand against the parapets. Judging by the turbulent indecision in her face, he surmised that she was having some kind of internal debate about what to say to him. Finally, she turned to look back at him as a gentle breeze tousled her hair. "I'm not one of those people who can just… just half-arse relationships, alright? To me they're not frivolous pursuits, and I can't start something with someone knowing it's not going to last."

Sirius' mouth twitched and he couldn't help the blatant sarcasm in his voice when he said, "So basically, you're saying that you are a sixteen year old looking for long term commitment from another sixteen year old."

"I'm not looking for anything from _you_, dolt. I was merely trying to explain to you that I am an all or nothing kind of a person! And I'd like it if my romantic relationships actually meant something to me!"

"In other words, you want commitment."

"You're not even listen-" She faltered seeing his very amused expression flashing back at her, and she gave in with an exasperated tutting noise. "Oh alright, then, I want _commitment_. Satisfied?"

He shrugged, gazing at her thoughtfully. She seemed too annoyed to look at him for the moment and was contenting herself with drumming her fingers on the stone railing and sighing huffily.

"What makes you think I can't commit to you?" he inquired.

She snorted derisively. "Only _years_ of knowing you and watching you go through girl after girl like you were being paid for it."

"I dunno, that seems rather unfair, Kylie," he replied casually. "You're judging me because of my past."

"I think in this situation it's only logical that I judge you based on your very poor track record," she shot back.

"Yes, perhaps, but what do any of those other girls have to do with you and me?"

She blinked, looking puzzled. "I - I'm not sure what you mean…"

He shifted his lips into a lazy, confident smile - the kind he knew always got her attention no matter how hard she tried to hide it. "I _mean_ that none of those other girls were you, Kylie. You and I have never dated," he said simply as he rose to his feet and moved to stand near her, stuffing his hands in his jacket. "Who's to say things won't be different this time around with us?"

"First of all, there is no 'us'," she declared briskly. He noted that there was a slight nervous edge to her voice again. "And second, I'm not stupid, Sirius. I know exactly what you're trying to do and I am _not_ falling for it."

"Have you considered that ever since I made my intentions known to you there hasn't been any other girl on my mind but you? I haven't so much as looked at another female since Halloween. You of all people should know what an achievement that is for me." He knew his teasing smile had to be infuriating her to no end at this point.

"Oh, big deal. Two whole months," she said, rolling her eyes.. "And I suppose you think all that flirting you've been doing with your Quidditch groupies doesn't count?"

"Well, they tend to follow me around, you see, so can you really blame me?" he asked loftily. "I'm only joking," he added quickly, seeing the withering look that had appeared on her face. He eyed her with a more contemplative smile this time as an idea struck him. "How about you let me prove it to you?"

"Prove what, exactly?" she asked, raising a suspicious brow.

"That maybe I've changed."

"Sirius…" she sighed and folded her arms in a tetchy manner. "I've already told you-"

He silenced her with a light finger to her lips, an act that so caught her off guard she forgot to blush. "It's not what you think," he assured her debonairly. "I'm going to prove to you that I _can_ commit myself to just one person – that person being you. I will not look at, flirt with, touch or even think about any girl who's not you… no matter how many of them may throw themselves at me." He couldn't help adding in that last part.

Kylie was looking skeptical, to say the least, and said dryly, "Don't tell me you expect something in return for this heroic sacrifice."

He grinned playfully as he pondered his answer. "In return… you agree to be my date for the After-Newts Ball."

He was referring, of course, to Hogwarts' traditional end of year bash. It had originated as a formal celebration for students who had finished their N.E.W.T. exams, hence the commonly used nickname 'After-Newts', but over the years it had evolved into a more general gathering for all N.E.W.T. level students, not just seventh years, to blow off steam after a long, grueling year of academics.

"But - but that's in _June_," she stammered. "You have no idea how you're going to feel that far from now!"

"Neither do you," he pointed out complacently. He watched a plethora of conflicting emotions wash over her face, knowing she was scrambling for an excuse to say no. Damn, but she was stubborn.

_Almost as stubborn as me_, he thought fondly.

"Kylie, you've already admitted you fancy me," he sighed before she could say anything. "If I've kept my promise to you after five months, would it really be so terrible to be my date to a Ball you'll be going to anyway?" He tilted his head towards her with an imploring look and was gratified to see something waver in her eyes. "Give me a chance?"

She let out a deep breath and closed her eyes briefly. "Okay, Sirius, I will agree to your… _terms_," she said, looking supremely annoyed with herself. "But there's a condition."

"Fire away."

She looked him straight in the eye and said in a surprisingly sly tone, "Kissing me is off-limits. That means no more trying to corner me in classrooms, locker rooms, hallways… dorms, or anywhere else in Hogwarts. If you really want to prove yourself to me, until the Ball, everything between us must remain strictly platonic."

A startled laugh escaped him, and he didn't know whether he was more surprised or amused by this little proclamation of hers. "And after the Ball? What then?"

She might have made the tiniest of smiles - it was gone before he could tell for sure. "After the Ball, all bets are off."

"Then I happen to have another condition for you."

"I'm breathless to hear it."

"I may not be allowed to kiss you," he began mischievously. "But you're still allowed to kiss _me_ whenever you want."

"What?" she asked caustically. "You think I won't be able to resist you?"

"Oh, I don't just think it. I know it," he replied, flashing an audacious grin.

She rolled her eyes and smirked. "What the hell. Agreed."

"Now, now, are you sure you don't want to stop and think about it for a moment?"

"I _know _I don't plan to snog you at any point, Sirius, so it hardly matters to me," she answered, looking quite unconcerned.

"All right then," he said with verve. "Just so we're clear, if you initiate any kissing with me, I will be at perfect liberty to participate."

"_Yes_, whatever. Are we finally agreed, then? No more conditions?" She gave him a searching look. "You don't also want me to agree not to date any other boys or anything like that?"

"Why, did you have someone in mind?" He was joking, of course, but was surprised by the slight twinge of jealousy he felt. It was completely unfounded, he knew, but the mere thought of Kylie with another guy sparked innate possessiveness in him.

"No, I don't. I only thought you might have insisted on something like that."

"I don't want to control your life, Kylie," he said, laughing softly and shrugging his shoulders. "I just want to be with you."

Surprise flickered across her face, and she opened and closed her mouth without managing any words. The simplicity of that statement seemed to have rattled her.

"I…"

"It's getting late," he said abruptly, saving her the need to speak. He walked over to his motorbike, gesturing for her to follow. "I should get you home."

* * *

Kylie hardly seemed aware of her surroundings on their journey back to Knightly Park. Lost in thought as she was, the trip seemed to take no time at all. Her conversation with Sirius had shed light on plenty of things and yet somehow she was left feeling more confused than ever. Thinking back to everything he had said, Kylie realized with growing befuddlement that she no longer knew for sure how she felt about him, or even how she _should_ feel about him.

Sirius was still the same guy she had known for over five years: the reckless, too-handsome-for-his-own-good, swaggering prankster who irritated her beyond belief. But suddenly, it also seemed he was now the sympathetic boy from a broken home with hidden vulnerabilities she had never imagined he could have and who had far more things in common with her than she was willing to admit.

Confronted with her newfound knowledge of the increasingly complicated and unpredictable Sirius Black, Kylie knew she could no longer feel the same disdain she had always had for him – it was simply impossible. Something about their perplexing relationship had softened tonight, whether she liked it or not.

Sirius could go from vexatious to charming in the blink of an eye, capable of being both intolerable and considerately thoughtful in equal measure. He riled her up as often as he made her laugh, and no matter what he did wrong, he always knew how to make it up to her. Hell, she had been fully prepared to never speak to him again after the disastrous Quidditch match and now it was almost like it had never happened. What was wrong with her that she could never stay angry at him? Was she the only one he had this _power_ over, or was he just naturally talented at getting in people's good graces?

And _why_ did she have to be so attracted to him, anyway? If he wasn't so bloody good-looking and such a memorable kisser she probably wouldn't have nearly as much trouble resolving how she felt about him. It wasn't fair - her stupid, teen hormones were muddling everything up. Furthermore, why did he have to set his sights on _her_, in the first place? What was it about_ her_ that made him so inexplicably determined to win her over? A part of her was almost flattered by it, but the rest of her was sensible enough to try and see through it. Girls like her, unremarkable little Kylie Hart, didn't inspire guys like Sirius Black to change. Period. It was far more likely that he was just thrown off by being rejected for the first time and misinterpreting his feelings for her. That hadto be it.

She pushed her jumbled thoughts out of mind for the moment when she spotted the faint lights marking her house below, and made sure she was prepared this time for the motorbike's abrupt descent to the earth. Sirius brought the vehicle to another impossibly fast but gentle landing on the same battlements he had picked her up from, and she clambered unsteadily off the back.

Taking a deep breath, she turned around to bid him good night, and tried not to marvel, yet again, at how utterly perfect he was. Her pulse was already starting to race under the intense scrutiny of those stormy eyes, and for an instant she was seized with the wild urge to brush back his windswept hair from his face. She refrained at the last second, covering up for the sudden movement of her hand by smoothing back her own mussed up hair instead.

"Here," he said just then, apparently not noticing anything strange. He was reaching to pull a small, square leatherette box out of his jacket's inner pocket, which he then offered to her with a breezy smile. "Your Christmas present. I know it's a few days late, but somehow I didn't think you would have been keen to accept any gifts from me until we'd… talked things over."

"Oh, um… thanks," she replied, gingerly accepting what was clearly a jewelry box. "You didn't have to…" She trailed off into surprised silence upon opening the box and discovering what was inside. She had expected it to be typical romantic jewelry like glittering earrings or a heart-shaped pendant, but what she found instead was a perfectly round sphere of some kind of polished, smoky brown colored gemstone suspended on a fine rose-gold chain. The crystal was almost an inch in diameter and was set with a rose-tinted golden bezel and mounting, indicating the two halves of the stone could be opened like a locket. Despite the relatively simplistic design, it had an unusual sort of beauty to it that drew the eye.

"I thought you might like it," Sirius said, drawing her out of her admiring contemplation of the necklace.

"I do, it's really quite… well, interesting," she stammered, knowing she liked it far more than she was letting on.

"I got it from that little jewelers shop in Hogsmeade just before term ended," he continued with a tilted smile. "I saw it and thought of you."

"Did you now?" she asked, smiling back - he was probably only teasing her again.

"It stood out," he explained simply. "And it's more than just a locket. The gem is a smoky quartz which is really good for holding certain enchantments, and this one contains a Subvenire Charm similar to a Pensieve."

"Oh, wow…" And she _was_ impressed – it wasn't easy to contain memory charms in an object other than an actual Pensieve, meaning this was quite a special little pendant. "So you can store memories in this?"

"Yes, just by wearing it. Whenever the mood strikes you, you can open up this locket, recall any memory you want, and watch it play out."

"…Thank you, this is an incredible gift," she said after a brief quiet moment. Her face grew warm and she couldn't quite meet his eyes. "Now I feel really guilty for not getting you anything."

"Don't worry, I know a gift you can give me right now."

"What?" She let out a tiny gasp of shock when she looked up to find his face only inches from hers.

"This," he said. And then he kissed her. Their lips were joined for a only few tiny seconds before he'd pulled away, leaving Kylie flustered and not entirely sure what had happened.

"What are you – _but you agreed not to_-!" she sputtered indignantly. Her mouth burned despite how chaste the kiss had been, at least compared to the first one he'd planted on her weeks ago.

"Sorry, that was the last one, I promise," he said, grinning cheekily. "Besides, if I recall correctly, you never actually said anything about not kissing you at your house. So I haven't broken any rules, really."

"You are _incorrigible_, Sirius Black!"

"I am, aren't I?" He swung a leg over his bike, still grinning unabashedly. "See you back at school, Kylie!"

With another one of those deafening roars, he and his flashy motorcycle sped off into the sky, and soon all she could see was his twinkling red taillight disappearing into the distance.

* * *

A/N: In case you were curious, the locket's description was inspired by this one I found surfing: www dot georgianjewelry dot com/items/images/11025

* * *


	13. Secrets and Setbacks

A/N: Okay, ladies (and gents? lol), you know the drill: I suck at updating my fanfics! It's a disease, I tell you! Or a mental deficiency at the least! XD

Strangely enough, the closer I get to the end of this story, the harder it is to get each chapter written. Even though I know exactly where I'm going, too… I'm just weird that way ;).

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: Secrets and Setbacks**

* * *

Learning to Apparate, Kylie decided, was highly overrated. She teetered precariously after turning on the spot and realized she had failed, yet again, to disappear and rematerialize in her hoop.

"Merlin, I'm never going to get this…"

"Nonsense. You're probably not focusing your determination enough. Keep visualizing the space in the hoop - don't let anything else distract you."

Kylie laughed. "Believe me, Lily, I _am_ trying. But conditions aren't exactly ideal for concentration, wouldn't you say?"

"I know," Lily replied, watching amusedly as the Brooks twins and Mallory once again lost their balance while spinning on the spot, let out ear-piercing shrieks, and collapsed on top of each other in a fit of giggles. Nearby several more students were doing the same thing, much to the chagrin of the Heads of Houses. It seemed all sense of discipline had been gradually lost with each progressive Apparition lesson, as only a tiny few had successfully achieved it since the start of the lessons five weeks earlier. Frustrations and lack of enthusiasm were mounting high amongst everyone else.

April showers had come a month early, so their lesson today was taking place in the Great Hall instead of out on the grounds as usual. Everyone's voices seemed amplified indoors, and coupled with the occasional distracting flash of lightning in the enchanted ceiling and the lashing of rain against the windows, it was no wonder the sixth years were being extra rowdy.

"Lots of people have trouble at first, but you _will_ get the hang of it," Lily continued encouragingly. "Trust me – soon enough you'll wonder why you ever doubted yourself."

"Easy for you to say. You've already Apparated once."

"I'm far from mastering the skill," she said, smiling. "It was mostly luck that I achieved it at all, so I don't think I'm ready to pass the licensing test or anything."

"Settle down, we're getting there!" called out their Ministry instructor, the wispy looking Wilkie Twycross, his robes whishing about as he passed by. "Remember, move without haste, but with _deliberation!_"

Kimmie slouched by them, grumbling sourly under her breath, "If he says that one more time I swear I'm going to be deliberating my foot right up his-"

"Back to positions, everyone!" Twycross called out again as Lily and Kylie stifled their giggles.

"I think I prefer flying," sighed Kylie a moment later after her next attempt proved no better than the last.

Lily flashed a grin as she stepped out of her hoop having successfully Apparated for the second time. "Would that be on a broomstick or the back of an enchanted motorcycle?"

"Are you _ever_ going to stop teasing me about that?"

"Only when it ceases to amuse us," spoke up the voice of Remus next to them.

"So not anytime soon," added Lily.

Kylie rolled her eyes. "Honestly, I never should've told you about it."

"Ah, but then she would've heard about it from Sirius sooner or later, like I did," Remus pointed out as he adjusted his hoop.

Lily nodded. "Yes, it's the sort of story you can't keep hidden for long."

"I get the point, you two," Kylie said, giving them a narrow stare as they both chuckled. She sighed with a shake of her head and glanced over to where Sirius was a couple rows over. He and James had mastered Apparition two lessons ago and the two of them were now coaching Peter through it – although they did not seem to be getting very far with him.

"He's been different lately," said Remus suddenly. "Have you noticed?"

"Hmm?" Kylie murmured distractedly, looking at him.

"Sirius. He's… I wouldn't say _improved_, exactly… actually, maybe I would say that," Remus continued thoughtfully.

"What do you mean?"

"He hasn't been causing nearly as much trouble these days. And neither has James, for that matter."

Kylie gave him a quizzical look. "Sure they have. What about that snowy blizzard they set off in the dungeons? Or that tropical jungle still growing in the Charms corridor? As I recall all four of you guys had a hand in _that_ one."

Remus chortled. "Yes, but those were all harmless pranks. I'm referring to Sirius and James' unfortunate tendency to hex people just for the fun of it, something I don't think either of them has done in a while."

She opened her mouth, prepared to swiftly counter that statement with recent examples of some petty way they had hexed and humiliated someone, but to her surprise, couldn't come up with any. There had been at least a dozen instances of people getting hoisted up by their ankles by way of the ever popular _Levicorpus_ spell or hit by a wide range of stinging, swelling, tripping, toenail-growing and boil-inducing hexes just that week - nothing unusual at Hogwarts – but as far as she knew (and she usually _did _know) neither James nor Sirius had been behind any of those incidents. In fact, she couldn't remember any hex-hurling on their part since the new term had started. Nothing that hadn't been justified, at least. They still freely defended themselves when other students, namely Slytherins, tried to catch them off-guard by popping out from behind statues or tapestries and aimed nasty curses at them (also not an unusual occurrence), but that was about it.

"I suppose so," Kylie finally said with a faint shrug, conceding the point. "Maybe you're finally rubbing off on them, Remus."

"Nah, I think _my_ influence has very little to do with it."

She raised a brow. "What are you suggesting?"

"I did say I thought you'd be good for Sirius, remember?"

"You said that?" piped up Lily curiously. "When?"

"It must have been back in October sometime, right Kylie?"

"Yes," she replied, still looking skeptically amused. "But I was under the impression you were referring to the," – she dropped her voice – "_lessons_, not me."

"Sorry to deceive you," he said, nodding his sandy head with a smile. "It turns out I was right, though, wasn't I?"

Kylie snorted. "You're taking the mickey."

"Remus has a point, Kylie," said Lily teasingly. "I've noticed it too - Sirius _has_ been different. Nicer, really. Not as much of a bully. Granted, he's still a bit of an idiot. But a tolerable one, if it can be said."

"Even James?" Kylie smirked.

Lily sighed with a disparaging glance James' way. "Yes… him too. But that's not the point. I honestly think Sirius' strides toward maturity can be largely attributed to you – not to mention this little bet of yours."

"Or _maybe_ he's just growing out of the same stupid phase most teenage boys go through. It happens, you know," she said wryly. "And it's not a 'bet'. It's just an… agreement."

Lily grinned. "You say tomato, I say bet."

Kylie made an exasperated noise, but at that moment Twycross called for order, so the three of them fell silent to concentrate on the next round of Apparition attempts. This time both Lily and Remus succeeded, while Kylie merely turned on the spot uneventfully and tried not to lose her balance as giggles and chatter instantly filled the Great Hall again.

Twycross was now lavishing praise on James and Sirius for their perfect displays of Apparition. Sirius spotted her watching them and winked. He patted Peter on the back, saying something encouraging that she couldn't make out above the buzz of chatter in the Hall, and then proceeded to demonstrate an effortless Apparition into his hoop and back out again. Kylie smiled and mouthed the words "show-off" at him, and he grinned broadly back.

It was true, really. In the two months or so since New Year's Eve, Sirius had been different. And it wasn't just his dawning maturity, either – things were different between the two of them.

In the wake of their New Year's 'pact', she and Sirius were getting along better than ever before. It was as if all the strange tension between them - which had been holding them back - had been dragged out in the open and dealt with accordingly. They had reached an understanding, a comfortable plateau of sorts. So now, with no more awkwardness for her fret about – at least until the After-Newts Ball arrived – Kylie had finally been able to relax around him. In fact, it wouldn't even be a stretch to call them friends at this point.

It was bemusing at first, being on affable speaking terms with him for the first time in months. Years, really. But Kylie realized she was growing accustomed to seeing and talking to Sirius on a regular basis. It was hard not to because they had so many opportunities, what with Quidditch practice (thankfully going very well these days, too, even if it was a bit silly how stiffly polite Sirius and Toby were being to each other) and their continuing Animagus lessons (which Sirius was actually going about with some tangible enthusiasm, finally). Combining those with classes, mealtimes, and evenings in the common room, Kylie was now spending time with him every day of the week. So much so, that Lily had even expressed her annoyance on more than one occasion about Sirius hanging around with them because it meant she had to put up with the increased presence of James when he tagged along. This became a source of much amusement for Kylie and Sirius: James and Lily's comical bickering and his obliviously transparent attempts to impress her.

Sirius never failed to make her laugh, too - whether they were just joking around at practice or in the common room, or he and James were getting up to their usual mischief setting off pranks. He really was good company when he wasn't, well, being a git, and she was glad to have not had a reason to call him a git in a long time. And she couldn't help but admit that it was mollifying seeing Sirius very publicly turn down Circe Billancourt the other day, who had apparently been waiting for him to ask her out again after the masquerade and had finally lost patience and gone to him first.

Yes, it was definitely a nice change for everything to be going smoothly for once – her social life, Quidditch, even her grades, were all doing very well. So well, in fact, that Kylie was certain it couldn't last. Life at Hogwarts was never this uneventful.

"Do you think we ought to tell him?" Remus asked just then, nodding towards Twycross.

Kylie followed his gaze and bit back a laugh – it looked like someone (and she could guess who) had whimsically decided to turn Twycross' hair an appalling shade of purple without his knowledge. It was now flashing every few seconds to a different and equally vivid color of the rainbow. The oblivious Twycross had no idea why his students kept giggling over his explanation of the causes of Splinching and was resolutely plowing on through the lesson.

"The teachers will let him know soon enough," Kylie said, turning towards Remus. "So, how's everything with you? No… furry little problems coming up?"

Remus smiled and said, "Not for another month. Although if it's anything like the adventure during my last 'problem', I'm almost looking forward to it."

"Well, don't get too carried away," she replied, smiling back. "What about you and Gwendolen Hutchinson? I heard you two have been going steady for a while now."

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm still with Gwen."

There was a faintly sad look in his eyes as he said it, surprising her.

"What's wrong? Did you guys have a row?"

"No, we didn't…"

"Oh! I'm sorry if it's a private matter," Kylie muttered, abashed. "I shouldn't be so nosy…"

Remus shook his head soberly. "No, I don't mind being asked about it. It's just… Gwen and me… I'm starting to think it can't go anywhere. Our relationship that is."  
More than a little puzzled, she asked, "Why? I've seen the way you two are together, Remus. Gwendolen really likes you – and you like her, right?"

"Yes. But it's complicated." He suddenly looked much wearier than any sixteen-year-old should. "…It's as if there's this wall between us, and it's made up of all the things I have to hide from her."

"Oh…" Kylie murmured, understanding now. "She doesn't know."

They watched silently as Professor McGonagall sorted out Twycross' still flashing hair while the rest of the sixth years continued to snigger and snort. Unperturbed, the Ministry instructor immediately launched back into the lesson as if nothing had happened – one really had to admire that kind of composure.

"I'm sorry," Kylie said quietly, patting his shoulder. She had never realized just how much being a werewolf affected Remus. He handled it so stoically, so it wasn't always obvious how strongly it weighed on his mind. Even though he had friends who cared about him, he must feel so isolated all the time.

"Believe me, I wish I could tell her everything. But I can't… Even if I can trust her with my secret, I don't even know how she'll react. She probably won't want anything to do with me if she found out the truth. And I can't say I blame her."

Kylie shot him an anxious look. "Don't talk like that, Remus."

"You know it's true, Kylie. I have no illusions about what's it going to be like out there in the real world, how other people will view me – Hogwarts is nothing in comparison. So I might as well resign myself to it now."

"To what? Being alone forever? You are far too hard on yourself, Remus," she gasped, dismayed. "You are a _great_ guy and if anyone can't see past the… well, it's their loss! And you are going to make some girl very happy one day. I know it."

Remus chuckled softly. "You don't have to say all that, Kylie, but thank you anyway."

"She says it because it's true," said Lily, who had been listening quietly to the conversation. "And you'll never have to be alone, Remus. I hope you know that. You'll always have your friends if nothing else."

"Yes, listen to Lily!" Kylie said insistently, squeezing his arm. "And _Merlin!_ Don't make us worry about you like that!"

Their conversation came to a halt when Mr. Twycross came by to check on their progress, and they had to put up with another 'three D's' lecture that seemed to drag on endlessly. Finally, their instructor moved on down the next row of students, and Kylie blinked several times to shake off the slightly glazed look she'd been wearing.

"It's remarkable how many times that man can repeat himself but still never quite get his point across," she noted dully. "Do you guys think about the 'D's' at all when you Apparate?"

Remus shook his head with a shrug. "Not at all. In fact, I was only able to Apparate once I stopped thinking about 'destination, determination and deliberation' entirely. I found them distracting."

She laughed. "I think I'll try that strategy, myself."

Her smile faded upon glancing at Lily and seeing the troubled frown etched onto her face. Kylie followed her gaze and spotted Wesley Kent, who was walking by the entrance to the Great Hall and busily conversing with the Head Girl, Venetia Lennox. After they'd passed out of sight, she turned to Lily.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"What? Oh… er, yeah," she muttered distractedly. "I'm fine."

"…You know, this isn't the first time I've seen you looking at Wesley like that," Kylie pressed, not convinced.

The redhead hesitated, looking torn. "It… it's nothing important, Kylie. I'm fretting over nothing."

"Well then, Taren, Kimmie and I would all agree that you've been 'fretting over nothing' for months now," Kylie noted and folded her arms disapprovingly. "If he's not treating you well you can tell us, Lils. Head Boy or no we can go and take care of him for you."

Lily sighed and smiled ruefully. "Wes treats me fine, really, he does. You guys don't have to worry about me."

Kylie could always tell when Lily was lying, or at least omitting details, and she was certainly doing that now. And that was the confusing part, wondering why she seemed so determined not to disclose what had been bothering her lately. All Kylie could deduce so far with Taren and Kimmie was that it was something to do with Wesley, but since it didn't appear to be anything _too_ serious they had agreed not to broach the subject too much, figuring Lily wanted to deal with it on her own. Between the three of them they had decided to wait for to her to confide in them when she needed to.

Kylie was beginning to question the wisdom of that decision, however, as it was growing increasingly apparent that Lily was never going to do that.

She opened and closed her mouth hesitantly, then finally said, "You hardly ever run off to see him anymore and you always get tense when people mention him, like you are right now. Can you blame us for worrying?"

"Wes has been very busy," Lily insisted, not quite meeting her eyes. "He's got a lot on his plate with… Head duties and Quidditch and his N.E.W.T.s to study for. It's just been hard to for us to spend time-"

At that moment a high-pitched squeal of pain ripped through the Great Hall - the telltale sound of someone managing to Splinch themselves - and every head swiveled around to see who it was this time. Kylie caught a brief glimpse of a shaking Peter standing in his hoop, staring horrified at the single finger he'd left behind, before the Heads of House had swooped upon him to set him right again with a bang and a puff of purple smoke.

"Poor Pete," Kylie said. "That's twice now he's Splinched himself, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I'd better go and check on him," said Remus as he slipped past them.

"Settle down!" Twycross called out again. "Now, one more round and we can call it a day. Remember to never stop concentrating your determination, everyone! On my count!"

Hardly anyone was listening to him, again, but Kylie sighed in a 'what-the-hell' sort of way. She might as well try it out one more time. When Twycross shouted "Three!" she concentrated with all her might, turned around, and was quite taken aback by a sudden feeling of compression overwhelming her from all sides. Everything went black and for a horrible second she couldn't breathe. Was this how it felt to Splinch yourself? Surely Apparition couldn't be this painful! And if she managed to Splinch herself on her first try Kylie knew she would die of mortification…

But then, just as suddenly, the pain was gone. Slightly disoriented, she blinked and looked around. Nothing seemed awry with her body – all her limbs were safely attached. And with a gleeful cry she discovered _she_ _was standing in her hoop!_ She had finally Apparated!

"I did it!"

"Well done," Lily said, beaming at her. Kylie grinned back happily, only faltering slightly when she remembered their interrupted conversation. Lily was smiling a little too cheerfully, clearly hoping she wouldn't bring up the Wesley issue again, and Kylie reluctantly decided that she would let it go for now.

* * *

"Looks like the coast is clear. Filch and Mrs. Norris are prowling the fifth floor, and the closest teacher is McGonagall, but she's on the third floor," James said as he examined the Marauder's Map. Satisfied, he tapped the parchment with a low, "_Mischief managed_," and rolled it up.

It wasn't yet nine o'clock that Sunday night, so they weren't breaking curfew, but James and Sirius wanted to make sure no one could catch the pair of them leaving the scene of the crime. They had just set up a little surprise for the Slytherins to find when the first of them emerged unsuspecting from their common room the next morning. Nothing too dangerous, of course – just a booby-trapped corridor that would trigger an ambush involving quite a few Fur Spells… and maybe one or too Furnunculus Curses for good measure. It was a downright tame prank compared to their usual standards, really, and nothing the Slytherins couldn't get Madam Pomfrey to fix if they were desperate. But James knew most Slytherins would be too proud to ask for help reversing the effects of the magical ambush, meaning several of them would be spending most of tomorrow looking distinctly hairier than normal, and if they were particularly unlucky, spottier.

"I hope Snivellus gets a handful of it," James said cheerfully. "That slimy git."

Sirius smirked. "He probably will – he's an early riser. He might even be the first one out the door tomorrow."

They both laughed as they contemplated that amusing possibility, making their way up the dungeon stairs.

"Hey, what's the time?" Sirius asked suddenly.

James glanced at his wristwatch. "It's just past eight. Why, you got some place to be?" He chuckled and shook his head. "Wait, don't tell me… You've got to go meet a certain Gryffindor girl you're smitten with, right?"

Sirius grinned. "As a matter of fact, I do. And… I'm _hardly_ 'smitten'."

"You're _not_?" James said with mock seriousness. "Well then, for a guy's who not 'smitten' you certainly spend a lot of time acting like it."

"It's all part of the plan, my friend," Sirius explained self-assuredly.

"Oh, really? Because it seems to me that when a girl's got you blackmailed into giving her illegal Animagus lessons _and_ has gotten you to agree to a _vow of celibacy _for five months, you've got to wonder who's really in control of things," James sniggered cheekily. "And people call _me_ the love-struck one."

"It's a matter of subtlety, Prongs," Sirius brushed him off with a comically dramatic sigh. "I wouldn't expect you to understand. Trust me, I know exactly what I'm doing."

"Oh, so Kylie _doesn't_ have you wrapped her little finger, then?"

"Nope, not at all."

James snorted. "If you say so."

Privately, however, James had an inkling that Sirius didn't realize yet just how much he liked Kylie, and that at some point during the past few months, winning her had become far more than just a game. But he refrained from voicing these suspicions, knowing Sirius would choose not to believe him anyway.

_I'll let him figure this one out on his own_, he thought with a smile.

When they reached the dim, torch-lit Entrance Hall, Sirius told him he'd meet him back in the common room later and left for his lesson with Kylie. James lingered in the Hall, struck with an idea for another spur of the moment prank. He stepped back into the center of the Hall, appraising the stone archway looming over the top of the stairs down to the dungeons, and nodded to himself. Yes, it would do for what he had in mind.

Concentrating with his wand held aloft, James nonverbally cast the spell that he knew would place an invisible Vanishing Spell ward upon the archway. He'd done pranks like this many times over the years, and thought it would make for a nice added touch to the other booby-trap in the dungeons. Any one who passed beneath the archway would instantly have their clothes vanish, at least until someone clever enough removed the wards. The spell didn't remove allof their clothes, of course - nobody needed to see _that_ much of the Slytherins when they arrived for breakfast tomorrow morning.

Satisfied with this good night's work, James pocketed his wand and turned in the direction of the marble staircase. He vaguely recalled some Potions essay that was due tomorrow, and thought he might as well head up to the common room and get it finished.

He paused with one foot on the first step, realizing he could hear somebody coming down from above him. Sirius had taken the Map with him, so he didn't have the luxury of checking to see who it was. Just to be safe, he quickly pulled out his Invisibility Cloak from his under his sweater and disappeared beneath it.

And not a moment too soon, he realized, because it was Lily who appeared just then on the landing. James heart leapt a little, the way it always did when he saw her. She was humming softly to herself, a Muggle tune he didn't recognize, and her attention was focused on the pages of small book she was holding open in front of her with one hand.

Frozen in place, James watched her descend the staircase, wondering if he should reveal himself. He would need something witty to say, of course, but what would be good enough? His brain never seemed to function properly when she was around, so coming up with a funny zinger was proving a little difficult.

At this point Lily had already passed by him on the stairs, and she was halfway across the Entrance Hall when it became apparent to James where she was headed.

In the span of a few seconds, a fierce debate raged back and forth in his head:

_I should really warn her about that archway..._

And miss out on the show?

_She'll kill me if I don't…_

But she'll never know it was me!

_Are you kidding? Of course she will._

How could she possibly know?

_Because she's Lily Evans. She always knows._

But this may be the only opportunity I'll ever get to see her in her knickers!

_…_

…

_It's just not good manners, mate._

Damn it.

"Evans, wait!" he called, pulling off the Cloak.

She let out a startled gasp and nearly dropped her book as she spun about. "_Potter!?_ How did you – you scared the hell out of me!"

"Sorry," he said, hastily stowing away the Cloak and walking across the Entrance Hall to stand in front of her. "But I have to warn you. You really shouldn't be going down to the dungeons tonight."

Her bewildered expression was instantly replaced with one of marked suspicion. "And why is that?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. "Been up to your usual mischief down there, have you?"

"Even if I have, do you really think I'm going to tell a prefect?" he replied with a shifty grin. "Look, just trust me when I say you _really_ don't want to go down there."

She rolled her eyes scathingly at him. "I'm not scared of anything _you_ could set up, Potter. Besides, I'm on patrol tonight so it's my _duty_ to put an end to any of your pranking nonsense. Out of my way." And with that she pushed him aside and continued walking resolutely towards the archway.

"Evans, I'm not kidding! The archway's warded – if you go through it-"

A part of him knew what was going to happen before it did, but with literally a second left to prevent it there was really no stopping it now. They pushed and tripped their way straight through the archway. There was a flash of light, and suddenly Lily Evans was standing before him in nothing but her knickers. Lacy matching lavender-colored lingerie, the kind he sometimes fantasized on her but never imagined she actually wore…

"H-holy…"

"POTTER!" Brilliant crimson flooded her milky white skin – indeed, her entire body seemed to flare up like the setting sun – as she vainly tried to cover herself with her arms while at the same scrambling to find her wand that she had dropped in the chaos of the moment. "Avert your eyes!" she cried, frantically feeling about the floor for it. Evidently it had clattered down the stone steps out of her reach, because she turned towards him a second later with fury in her eyes.

"James Potter if you don't conjure me some robes RIGHT NOW I swear I will knock your block off!"

Her words seemed to come from far, far away… All he could see, all he could think about, was almost-naked-Lily. Similar descriptive phrases repeated themselves in his mind, as if he needed to confirm he wasn't imagining this whole thing: Practically naked Lily. Indecently dressed Lily. Looking better half-naked in real life than she'd ever been in his dreams. Right in front of him, looking like she was about to pounce on him at any second…

And pounce on him she did, except not in the way he might have hoped.

With a low sound that might have been a snarl, she lunged for the wand he held loosely by his side with a little more force than was necessary. Perhaps she had expected some kind of resistance from him? Dazed as he was, James didn't think to brace himself or even react at all, so the two of them toppled over like a pair of dominos.

She let out a tiny shriek as they fell, but immediately went about groping for his wand – he had dropped it and could now feel it pressing against his back. "Give-it-to-me!" she growled.

It was at that moment James remembered he too had lost his clothes. And along with that realization came another one, which was with her flailing about on top of him, soft, smooth skin pressed against his own, his body was in danger of reacting in a way that he knew his Snitch-patterned boxers wouldn't hide.

A squeal of utter terror filled the Hall, reverberating off the walls, and both Lily and James were distracted long enough to look around. A third year Gryffindor girl was standing on the landing on the marble stairs, no doubt drawn by the commotion, but it wasn't just any girl. It was Fiona Doone, known by anyone who was in the know to be the most prudish and uptight wanna-be prefect to ever patrol the corridors of Hogwarts.

She was gaping, horror-struck, at what appeared to be two half-dressed older students in a highly compromising position right in the Entrance Hall for anyone to see. It was no wonder, then, that she took one frightened look at them before turning and dashing back up the stairs as quick as lightning.

"_Blast!_" Lily cried. She finally managed to find his wand and magicked herself a pair of nondescript black robes. Just as she was scrambling to her feet and throwing them about her figure, Fiona Doone reappeared on the landing as quickly as she'd disappeared, but this time she was accompanied by someone else whom she was dragging determinedly down the stairs.

Professor McGonagall.

"_See, look – right there!_" Fiona cried anxiously, pointing frenetically at them and looking beside herself. "And she was only in her _underwear_ a second ago, I swear! And they were – right in the Entrance Hall – they-"

"That will do, Miss Doone!" replied McGonagall, sounding slightly out of breath. It seemed she'd been dragged down there by the excitable Fiona at a rather brisk pace. James had to wonder on how earth she'd managed to find a Professor so quickly at this hour.

McGonagall's stern gaze fixated on them, and then widened ever so perceptibly with shock. It seemed Lily Evans and James Potter were the last two students she expected to find in such a state. Together, that is. "Now what's all this nonsense?"

"Professor!" Lily sputtered, clutching at her robes like she was afraid they also might disappear. "It's really not what it looks like! This is a complete misunderstanding-"

"Nuh-uh!" Fiona interrupted vigorously. "They were _all over_ each other, Professor McGonagall! I _saw_ them!"

"She doesn't know what she walked in on, Professor! It was an accident!"

"An 'accident', you say?" The Deputy Headmistress did not look the least bit convinced as she glanced at James, still sitting on the floor in only his boxers and slowly recovering from his previous stupor, and turned to raise a brow at Lily's disheveled appearance – her red hair spilling messily across her flushed face, loosely held robes sliding a bit off her bare shoulder and her chest rising and falling rapidly as she tried to catch her breath.

Lily looked at James desperately. "Potter, _say something, would you!?_"

A long, lazy grin spread across his face. "I don't know what to tell you, Professor," he said with a shrug, eyeing Lily mischievously all the while. "She just can't keep her hands off me."

Lily's jaw dropped. She looked nearly as scandalized as Fiona.

"Yes, Professor!" Fiona squeaked. "And I heard her, too! Making all these animal-like noises! She was shouting 'give it to me' and was groping him and-"

"Yes, _thank you_, Miss Doone," McGonagall said briskly. James noted with surprised amusement the faint pink tinge in her cheeks – he never knew McGonagall was even capable of blushing.

_Damn I can't wait to tell Sirius about all this._

"Please believe me, Professor!" Lily pressed. "I was just trying to get his wand!" She turned as red as a tomato when she realized her unintentional double entendre. "Wait, I didn't mean - the archway – my clothes-!"

McGonagall held up a hand to silence her. "That's enough, Miss Evans. If you don't mind I'd rather be spared the unsavory details. I am taking twenty points from the both of you for conduct unbecoming of a student of my house, but I can assure I'm not done with you yet. Now go back to your common room before I decide to give you detention as well." She gave James another disapproving look. "And for goodness' sake, boy, put some clothes on!"

She waved her wand and all of their original clothes reappeared, scattered on the floor around them. She then turned and began heading down the corridors toward her study, calling over her shoulder, "Don't let me catch you two again!"

Lily scowled and tossed James' wand back at him crossly. "_Not_ a word, Potter," she said in a harsh undertone, gesturing towards Fiona, who was standing a few feet away watching them with her arms folded.

James laughed softly back, and with a flick of his wand magicked all his clothes back onto himself.

On their way back to Gryffindor tower James kept darting sly looks at Lily out of the corner as eye, while she resolutely avoided his gaze. The tightening of her jaw was the only indication she could hear him sniggering constantly to himself. Fiona walked along behind them like a chaperone, eyes darting back and forth between them. She seemed a little tense; as if she feared they might start tearing each other's clothes off if she didn't keep them in her sights.

After what felt like an eternity, they reached the seventh floor corridor, where Lily came to a halt before the Fat Lady's portrait. She said nothing, merely staring at the portrait and flexing and un-flexing her fingers.

"_Butterscotch!_" Fiona gulped at the Fat Lady after taking in the expression on Lily's face. The portrait swung open and the third year girl climbed inside hastily, eager to get away from them.

James turned to Lily, grinning cheekily. "What is it, Evans? Ready for round two?"

She whipped out her wand and flourished it at him wrathfully. "_Langlock!_"

He immediately felt his tongue stick firmly to the roof of his mouth and stumbled slightly in surprise.

"Next time I won't go so easy on you," she uttered through gritted teeth, before she climbed through the portrait hole and slammed it shut behind her.

* * *

When the girls emerged from their dormitory the following morning on their way to breakfast, they were greeted in the common room by muffled giggles and whispering. Lily descended the spiral staircase with her head held high, giving no indication she even noticed she was the center of the room's attention.

"Come along, girls," she said in a strangely high-pitched voice, gesturing towards Kylie, Kimmie and Taren as they filed along behind her.

Kylie was pleased to note she was the only one of their group not having trouble holding back her own laughter. (She'd filled her laughing quota the night before when Lily had initially told them all, red-faced, about her eventful encounter with James in the Entrance Hall.) Taren and Kimmie, however, were still smirking and snorting unabashedly.

"Good morning, Evans!"

James was swaggering down from the boys' dormitories. Until that moment, Kylie hadn't known it was even possible for someone to actually _swagger_ down _stairs_, but he was doing just that. He continued his lanky stride across the room towards them, and she had a fleeting impulse to warn him not to get too close to Lily less he suffer her wrath a second time. If the look on her friend's face was any indication, Lily was not in the forgiving mood.

"I've been meaning to thank you for what a _fantastic_ time I had last night. We should try it again sometime," James said airily, blissfully unaware of the great danger he was putting himself in – Lily was veritable to explode at any moment and was only refraining from doing so for propriety's sake. They were, after all, surrounded by a crowd of young onlookers she was supposed to be setting an example for.

To Kylie's surprise, Lily kept her temper in check. Instead of reaching for her wand to rain fiery death and destruction upon him, she merely closed her eyes for a brief moment, turned away from him and said, "Do you guys hear something? Because I definitely don't."

And with that she deliberately strode right past James as if he wasn't there and pushed her way through the portrait hole.

"Aw, don't be like that, Evans," James called, running after her persistently. This time Kylie did allow herself to a smirk a little.

Lily had hit James' vanity: his weak point. He couldn't stand being ignored. After all these years of knowing him Lily had mastered the art of rattling James and getting under his skin.

However, Kylie knew this was sure to backfire on Lily. If he had to, James would stubbornly follow her around all day to get her to acknowledge him and fight back.

"This should be entertaining," Kimmie laughed.

Kylie caught Sirius' eye as he approached, and they both grinned.

"I take it you've heard?" she asked.

"I don't think there's a single Gryffindor who _hasn't_ heard at this point," he replied. "Looks like the Brooks twins have been telling anyone who'll sit still long enough."

"Of course. I was wondering how word had spread so fast." Kylie made a mental note to never divulge any more secrets in front of Opal or Ocean. Those two gossip queens weren't exactly brilliant students, but when it came to a juicy rumor or a salacious tale, no one was better at making sure it spread through the entire school like wildfire. She suspected they were the ones behind _everyone_ finding out she had spent New Year's Eve riding around on Sirius Black's motorcycle (a host of other blush-inducing rumors had cropped up about her and Sirius, too – it seemed a lot of students had their own ideas about what _really _happened that night.)

"I hope James knows he's setting himself back with Lily acting like this," she noted as they followed Taren, Kimmie, Remus and Peter through the portrait hole.

"Well, you know James," Sirius laughed. "He can't pass up such a perfect opportunity to make a fool of himself. He's going to live this up for as long as he can."

"To his detriment," Kylie sighed. "What do you think McGonagall's got planned for them?"

"I don't know, but I'm pretty sure I'll be laughing when I find out."

She lightly socked his arm, grinning. "You have no shame, don't you? Haven't you any sympathy at all for their situation?"

"Considering James definitely doesn't feel sorry for himself, I'm going to have to say no, I'm not sympathetic at all."

"And what about Lily?"

"James did try to warn her, didn't he?" Sirius said with a shrug.

She rolled her eyes. "I suppose. But what if McGonagall's punishment is really harsh? Lily won't admit it, but I can tell she's nervous. She was going on last night about losing her prefect status."

"It can't be anything _that_ drastic."

* * *

Lily stared, agape, at Madam Pomfrey. She couldn't possibly have heard that correctly.

"I'm sorry, but… _what?_"

The Hogwarts nurse smiled indulgently at them and repeated herself: "Professor McGonagall has recommended that you receive counseling on the merits of abstinence. And if that fails to convince you, I am also obliged to advise safer, less conspicuous ways for the two of you to-"

Lily stood up from her chair so forcefully that she knocked it over. Ignoring James who was cracking up in the chair beside her, she declared in a heated voice, "Forgive me for the interruption, Madam Pomfrey, but I'm afraid no 'counseling' of any kind will be necessary!"

"On the contrary, my dear, I am only following Professor McGonagall's instructions. If she says you need counseling, then it is certainly necessary that you receive it."

"Only because Professor McGonagall was mistakenly led to believe that Potter and I are… are…!"

"Shagging?" James provided helpfully.

"Potter!!" Lily hissed, forgetting to keep pretending that James didn't exist.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Shagging like bunnies."

"Miss Evans!" Madam Pomfrey said sharply. "Do sit back down!"

Lily had her wand out and pointed at James, not to mention a blush to rival her fiery hair, but at the nurse's command she froze. For several grueling seconds she and James stared at each other; she glaring at him indignantly, while his face was alight with laughter. He folded his arms behind his head, grinning saucily up at her.

Letting out a deep, calming breath, Lily pocketed her wand, lifted her chair back up and slowly sat down. She coughed slightly, made her posture ramrod straight, and fixed her gaze on Madam Pomfrey. "I apologize… for my outburst, Madam Pomfrey. I assure you it was most uncharacteristic of me. This has been a trying day."

The nurse managed a small smile – the kind indicating this was not the first time she had dealt with a situation like this. "You're forgiven, Miss Evans. But I see now why Professor McGonagall saw fit to recommend these sessions."

"…'Sessions'? As in plural?" Lily repeated.

"Indeed. There is clearly a great deal of unresolved sexual tension between you and Mr. Potter which has become an unnecessary distraction from your studies. And not just for you two, but for your fellow students as well. Professor McGonagall must believe that it'll be to the benefit of all if those tensions can be soothed over. But it's highly doubtful that can be accomplished in just one hour."

James was doubled over with laughter at this point, while Lily could only sink into her seat with a look of abject horror on her face.

* * *

"It's like a nightmare that won't end!" Lily fumed as she stomped down the corridor at such a brisk speed her three friends had to hurry to keep up with her. "I cannot _believe_ I now have to give up my free period every day this week to go have _sexual education_ counseling with James Potter! Just cannot believe it! Oh honestly you three, it's not _that _funny!"

"Lily, can you really begrudge us for this one laugh at your expense?" Kimmie managed to say in between her snorting. "Just look at it from our perspective and you'll understand why we think this is bloody hysterical."

"Easy for you to say. You don't have to sit there and listen to Madam Pomfrey try to explain the minutiae of magical contraceptives with Potter next to you!"

She rolled her eyes at the fresh wave of giggling that prompted from the three of them.

"I think one day you're going to look back at this and laugh too, Lily," said Taren. "But at the mean time you could try getting even somehow. I think you could make these sessions as painful for James as they are for you if you really tried."

"And how, pray tell, would I achieve that? He's having the time of his life."

"I know," said Kylie suddenly. "Play along! If James is going to carry on letting the teachers think you two really are-"

Lily made a painful sound that was somewhere between a squeak and a groan, indicating she'd rather not hear any more references about her and James in _that_ way.

"-Just pretend that it's all true," Kylie continued cheekily. "Make up some stuff in these sessions that will embarrass James."

Lily's frenzied marching slowed to a more a sedate pace as she pondered this suggestion, looking suddenly thoughtful.

"Ooh, yes, I like that idea!" Kimmie cried. "That would be gold! Just imagine all the things you could say!"

"And you'd at least get some enjoyment out of this whole affair," added Taren.

Lily smiled. "I'll… think about it."

"Great, now that that's settled, I was wondering if we were going anywhere particular, Lily?" said Kylie just then. "I mean, we've been walking aimlessly around the castle for ten minutes already…"

Lily came to a halt, and looked around with a slightly puzzled expression. "Oh… I didn't even realize we'd gone anywhere…"

The three of them laughed again and this time Lily joined in, shaking her head exasperatedly. "Merlin, I'm a mess," she sighed.

"You'll feel better once we get to class," said Taren. "Come on."

"You're right – oh, damn! We're almost late for Herbology!" Lily cried after glimpsing her watch.

"Only she could worry about being 'almost' late for class," remarked Kimmie as they watched Lily dash off.

"Oh that's right," Kylie said as they were passing by the entrance to the library. She reached into her bag to pull out the book she remembered was about to become overdue. "I'd better drop this off before Madam Pince starts hunting me down. I'll catch up with you guys, okay?"

They nodded and continued on without her, and Kylie proceeded inside to the library circulation desk. The librarian's eyes narrowed at her behind her spectacles when she handed the book over. "May I suggest you use a proper place marker next time, Miss Hart? I'd rather not see any more of my books' pages bent and folded out so carelessly again."

"It was like that when I checked it out," Kylie said quickly.

"Hmm." Madam Pince eyes narrowed even more, serving to make her face look even more pinched than usual – a clear indication that she didn't believe her in the slightest.

Kylie smiled weakly and turned to leave, but just as she was doing so her ears picked up mention of her name. She looked around and spotted Florence Ashton and Paris Stone in between a row of high bookshelves, but they hadn't been calling out to her. Their heads were huddled together conspiratorially and they didn't seem to have realized Kylie was standing not a few feet away.

"Shush, keep it down, would you?" Florence was whispering harshly.

"But Kylie has no idea at _all_?"

"No, I told you, Sirius has been really careful to keep it a secret."

"Oh that is just _perfect_. I can't wait to rub it in those Brooks twin's faces next time they come bragging to us about how Sirius has chosen a Gryffindor after all these years to be 'his girl' or whatever it was they were babbling about," - Paris laughed under her breath - "And it turns out he's just fooling around behind Kylie's back."

A strange, hollow feeling settled in the pit of her stomach, and without even being aware of what she was doing, Kylie slipped quietly in between the row of shelves next too where the two Ravenclaws were gossiping, straining her ears to listen further. They were moving now, making their way towards the back of the library, and through the shelves of books she could just barely see the bobbing of their blonde and brunette heads as they chattered.

"From what I've heard, it's mostly seventh year girls he hooks up with, but the other night I was told he and Marcella snogged up in the Astronomy Tower," Florence was saying.

"He is _devious!_" Paris giggled. "But… why hasn't he come to me for a snog then?"

"Come on, Paris! You still want him after the way he treated you?"

"N-no! I just…" Paris sputtered awkwardly. "Well, _you'd_ snog him too if he asked you. Admit it."

Florence snorted. "Hardly. I happen to have standards."

This time it was Paris' turn to snort. "Oh please. You'd snog Sirius Black in a second, and do anything else he asks you to. Just like every other girl in this school. But anyway, what I want to know is why he bothers to keep it a secret from Kylie," – she made a low tutting sound – "What makes her so special?"

"He's trying to win a bet, remember?"

"What do you mean?"

"You haven't heard this? Sirius is trying to prove no girl can resist him, even Kylie. She wouldn't go out with him and he promised to be celibate for her for like, a couple of months or something, in exchange for her going out with him later. At least, that's what the Brooks twins told me. They overheard Kylie telling her friends about it."

Paris scoffed. "Sounds like a whole lot of trouble just for a prude like Kylie."

Kylie had heard enough. She stormed off back the way she had come, not caring in the slightest if the two Ravenclaws noticed her. Her pulse thrummed like a war drum in her ears, drowning out all other noise, and she blundered down the corridors, flew down the staircase and out of the castle, crossing the vegetable patch to the greenhouses. Her anger and indignation rose with every step, and it was all she could do not to kick the door the open and burst into the room where she knew HE would be.

"You are late, Miss Hart," Professor Sprout called out as she entered. "That'll be five points from Gryffindor."

Lily, Kimmie and Taren were already wrestling with their Venomous Tentacula, a project the class had started the week before.

"What kept you?" Kimmie asked, at the same time holding down the vicious plant so Lily and Taren could extract its seeds.

"I got sidetracked," she replied abruptly. She nearly tore a hole in her safety gloves pulling them on, all the while glaring across the room at Sirius who was busy tackling his own Tentacula with James and Remus. The plant's slithery vines had gotten a hold of Peter's arms and waist and were now trying to reel him in. The three other boys were simultaneously laughing and trying to free the hapless Peter. Kylie's outrage soared to new heights.

"Look at him standing there," she uttered under her breath with a scowl. "Laughing and joking around and _enjoying himself_ like everything's just… fine and dandy!"

Kimmie blinked, exchanging surprised looks with Lily and Taren. With growing concern they watched Kylie place a handful of the seeds into a mortar and furiously begin grinding away with her pestle.

"Is something the matter, Kylie?" Lily asked.

"Not at all. Why ever do you ask?" Kylie replied through gritted teeth as she continued to pound away at the seeds like it was a personal vendetta.

"Oh no reason, you just seem a little _tense_," Kimmie said dryly.

"Did something happen just now before class?" Taren asked.

Kylie put down the pestle, dumped the now powdery seeds into their collection bowl and reached for another handful to grind. "I'll tell you guys about it later. Suffice to say, I discovered I must be the most gullible," – she grimaced as she attempted to grind a particularly solid Tentacula seed – "oblivious, stupidest," – she pushed even harder but the stubborn seed refused to crack open – "ignorant, dimwitted, idiotic chit ever to walk the halls of Hogwarts!"

With a frustrated gasp she dropped the pestle, grabbed a small hammer lying near by, and smashed not just the seed but the mortar as well. "_Reparo_," Kylie said, pointing her wand at the mortar as her three friends stared at her with varying degrees of alarm.

"Er, you know what, I think it'd be best if I took care of the seed mashing for now," Kimmie said quickly in a placating voice, moving to take the pestle before Kylie could. "Here – why don't you go replenish our supply of Tentacula Calming Drought?"

Kylie brushed her hair out of her face, took a deep breath and nodded. "Fine."

By the looks of it Peter was finally free of the Tentacula's clutches, and now Sirius was gazing in her direction. Evidently he had noticed something was awry about her behavior. She glowered at him nastily and stalked over to the end of the greenhouse where the cauldron of Calming Drought was set up.

As she ladled some of the potion into her bottle, he sidled up beside her with an empty potion bottle in hand.

"Alright, Kylie?"

"Never better," she answered curtly, not deigning to look at him.

"I thought as much," he said with a light chuckle. "So what have I done to warrant this sudden onslaught of fury? Nothing too terrible, I hope?"

"Oh don't _even_ joke about this!" she snapped in a hissing undertone, whirling on him. "I can't believe I was naïve enough to think I could trust you! I should've known – should've known you were just going to make a fool of me. That it was all rubbish from the start!"

"Kylie, what-?"

She shook her head, scowling. "Please don't insult my intelligence further by playing dumb. And while you're at it, stay _far_ away from me."

She placed a stopper on her bottle of Calming Drought and marched back over to her friends, leaving him standing there looking utterly bewildered.

* * *

"What's up with you?" James asked the moment Sirius returned to their table.

Sirius didn't immediately answer, merely frowning pensively as he watched Kylie across the room. She sent another glare his way when she caught him staring, and he shook his head in an agitated fashion.

"It's Kylie…" he muttered.

"Hmm, she looks really pissed," James remarked idly. "Is it because of you?"

"Apparently."

James waited for him to say more but his friend just continued to brood silently. He glanced at Remus who shrugged back at him.

"So… what did you do?"

"Damned if I know."

"You're telling me she's mad at you but you don't know why?"

"That's generally what 'damned if I know' means, yes," Sirius replied with a sardonic edge to his voice.

James sniggered. "Yeah, okay. Well, it can't be that big of a deal. Speaking from…" – he smirked slightly – "personal experience, girls tend to blow things out of proportion, you know, so whatever it is she'll probably get over it soon enough."

"No, this is different," Sirius said distractedly as he poured some Calming Draught on the Tentacula. "She's really angry about something. And I mean _really_. Says I can't be trusted and that I've been making a fool of her."

"Have you?" Remus asked in a wry voice. Sirius raised a brow at him.

"No, Moony," he replied with a brief half-smile. "And I'm pretty sure I would remember if I did." He paused and sighed heavily. "I don't get it. Everything was fine this morning. Where is this coming from?"

"She must have heard something that upset her," Remus said. "It's the only explanation."

"Yeah. Except I don't understand what she could have possibly heard to react like this."

"Hey, maybe she's under a spell!" Peter proffered eagerly. "Someone could have put a jinx on her."

Sirius frowned. "No, Kylie is definitely herself. I'd be able to tell if she wasn't…"

The Calming Draught hadn't quite kicked in yet, so one of the Tentacula's vines latched onto Peter's wrist and James and Remus quickly went to work freeing him again. Sirius sighed and went to help them. Finding out whatever was bothering Kylie would have to wait.

When the hour of Herbology finally came to an end, Sirius spotted Kylie storming out the door before anyone else, followed swiftly by her anxious looking friends. She hadn't been kidding when she'd said she wanted him far away from her. He nodded briefly to James, Remus and Peter and hurried out of the greenhouse. When he reached the Entrance Hall Lily suddenly stepped into his path, arms folded and her expression dangerous.

"Alright, spill, Black," she stated outright. "Did you or did you not cheat on Kylie?"

He stared at her for a moment as if he hadn't heard the question correctly. "Well, first of all, it'd be rather difficult to 'cheat' on her when we're not actually _together_…"

"Oh, don't be a cad! I meant did you break your word to her? About the bet?"

"No, of course not!" He was genuinely perplexed at this point.

She narrowed her eyes, putting her hands on her hips. "And how do I know you're not lying?"

"You'll just have to trust me, won't you?" he replied with an exasperated air.

"Padfoot!" James called as he, Remus and Peter caught up with them in the Entrance Hall. "Hey, did you find out what… Oh, hello Evans."

James winked impishly at her, but to his surprise she merely smiled coyly back at him. "Potter. I wanted you know I'm looking forward to our next session with Madam Pomfrey. I think it shall be quite illuminating."

Before James could fashion a reply to this curious pronouncement, Sirius spoke up again.

"Why the hell does Kylie think I… 'cheated' on her?" He really couldn't think of a better word for it at the moment.

"Well, she… wasn't completely clear on the details," Lily answered falteringly. "She just said she overheard some girls saying you were sneaking around behind her back."

"Which girls?" he asked, brow furrowing as he felt anger spark up in him.

"Paris and Florence I believe. They said – wait, where are you going?"

"I'm getting to the bottom of this," he said simply as he stalked off towards the staircases, pulling the Marauder's Map out of his bag as he did.

Lily turned back to James and inclined her head, saying mysteriously, "Good day, Potter."

"Good… day?" James repeated after she had left, looking perturbed. "What was that all about? And what did she mean by 'illuminating'?"

Remus chuckled and patted James on the shoulder. "Who knows, Prongs? I'm sure it's nothing to worry about," he said nonchalantly. "She's probably just plotting her revenge, is all."

James blinked before letting out a nervous laugh. "...Ha, right."

* * *

Sirius strode into the sparsely populated Great Hall and quickly spotted Paris and Florence with some of their friends at the Ravenclaw table. He slid onto the empty spot on the bench next to them, flashing a charming smile as he brazenly cut into their conversation. "Afternoon, ladies."

"Sirius!" Paris gasped, looking both taken aback and delighted. "How… how are you?"

"Fantastic. And you?"

She immediately giggled and fluttered her eyelashes at him, saying sweetly, "Oh, never better! Was there… something you wanted?"

"You know, there _was_ actually," he replied, deciding to cut right to the chase. "Would you care to tell me which of you lot I have to thank for the proliferation of certain libelous rumors about myself?"

The flirtatious smile vanished from Paris' face, and she shot an apprehensive glance at Florence across the table. "I – I'm not sure what you mean…?"

He smirked humorlessly. "Did I use too many big words for you? How about this then: Who made up the rumors about me 'sneaking around' behind Kylie Hart's back?"

"…Isn't that what you've been doing?" Florence asked with blank confusion. She turned to look at Marcella Hampton beside her, who appeared to be rather uncomfortable all of a sudden. "Marcella said you snogged her up in the Astronomy Tower last weekend, didn't you, Marcella?"

"I m-may have… exaggerated a bit…" she said red-faced, unwilling to look any of them in the eye.

"A 'bit' you say?" Sirius repeated incredulously. "I never snogged you before in my life, let alone 'last weekend'."

"Yes you have!" she exclaimed, highly affronted. "That one time back in third year, remember?"

"Whatever," he said dismissively. "Look, gossip is one thing, but outright lies are another thing entirely and I have very little patience for it. So if you don't mind, _knock it off_."

"But it wasn't my idea to make that stuff up!" Marcella blurted out in a panicked voice. "It was Circe who told me to say those things!"

"…Circe?"

"Yes, Circe Billancourt! She caught me cheating on an Ancient Runes test and threatened to tell Professor Cordell if I didn't do exactly as she said from then on." Evidently this secret had been weighing on Marcella's mind for a long time. "And she told me to…"

"Yes?" Sirius pressed.

Marcella stared at her fingers awkwardly. "She just told me to tell as many people as possible that you were hooking up with other girls secretly. And I… I think she hoped Kylie Hart would hear it eventually - she find out about the bet you have going with her from the Brooks twins… B-but you know, it wasn't just me starting the rumors! Circe's been doing it too and Florence has been telling anyone who'll listen-"

"But I had no idea it was all lies, I swear!" Florence said quickly.

Sirius sighed with irritation as he held up a hand to silence them. "Just put to an end to it, will you?"

He got up and left the Great Hall, ignoring Paris when she called after him.

* * *

"Hey Sirius, where have you been?" James greeted in a too-cheerful voice when Sirius returned to Gryffindor Tower. "We've got an excellent game of Exploding Snap going – care to join in?"

"Maybe later," Sirius replied tersely. He proceeded straight through the common room, wordlessly cast the spell meant to deactivate the anti-men charm on the girls' staircase, and disappeared up them.

James sighed in resignation. "Aw man, I was afraid this would happen. He looks just as pissed off as Kylie, now."

"Yeah. I don't see this blowing over any time soon," Remus noted.

Sirius barged into the sixth year girls' dormitory, his expression foreboding as he fixed his gaze on Kylie sitting on her bed.

"We need to talk," he said firmly.

"I have nothing to say to you," she declared at once. She jumped to her feet, folding her arms and staring him down.

"Yes, but _I _do. And you're going to want to hear this."

"We'll leave you two kids alone to talk things over, shall we?" Kimmie suggested, gesturing for Taren and Lily to follow her out of the room.

"No! He isn't staying!" Kylie said quickly, but they cast her apologetic looks and closed the door behind them.

Sirius' eyes never left her face as he approached, and she reflexively backed up against her bedpost.

"I don't care to hear any excuses you've-"

"The rumors were fake, Kylie."

"You – what?"

"None of it was true, alright? I haven't been with any girls behind your back."

"I know what I heard, Sirius! Florence said-"

"Florence has been repeating nothing but the lies that Marcella told her. On Circe Billancourt's orders."

"Circe? What are you talking about?"

"Marcella fessed up about it and I confronted Circe. She's the source of everything you heard today. Is that clear enough?"

Kylie stared at him, scavenging for something to say. The truth was finally sinking in. "I…"

"Go and ask them yourself if you need further proof," he said with an angry sigh. "I imagine Marcella will be more forthcoming, considering I've threatened to hex Circe's mouth shut if she keeps this up."

"B-but, I don't understand… what was Circe trying to-?"

At this Sirius laughed sourly. "Apparently it was part of her idiotic scheme to get back at me for publicly jilting her. But I guess it turns out it wasn't so dumb after all." He wrestled for control of his temper by pacing about the room, but he couldn't stop his voice from rising. "The plan worked _wonders_ on you, didn't it?"

Kylie had the decency to look abashed, and it was sheer willpower that kept her eyes on him and not the carpet. "Sirius, I didn't mean to…"

"Mean to _what?_ Accept bollocks rumors without question and immediately turn on me because of them?"

"Could you stop interrupting me for a second and let me explain?" she demanded. Her voice had raised several octaves as well.

"Why should I when you wouldn't extend the same courtesy to me?"

"But I couldn't have known what Circe was up to!"

"You should have at least asked _me_ about it before flying off the handle! You didn't even give me a chance!"

She let out a groan of frustration. "Can you honestly blame me for believing them? You have a history of doing just what they said!"

"So now we're back to my 'track record' again? I thought we were past this."

"It's not an easy thing to let go of, Sirius!"

"The promise I made to you was sincere, Kylie! I was under the impression you trusted me when you agreed to the bet. Were you just lying back then?"

"No! I just never thought you could actually keep your promise!"

For a moment all was silent save for Kylie's heavy breathing, and they stared daggers at each other, neither one willing to give any ground. Her outburst had taken them both by surprise.

"Well, it's good to know you have so little faith in me, Kylie," he said sarcastically. "So tell me, were you expecting me to fail this whole time, or were you actively hoping for it? Did you _want_ those rumors to be true so you'd have an excuse to pick a fight?"

"I never said that!"

"You didn't have to," he replied coldly. "I suppose I really ought to be glad I discovered this now rather than in June. At least now I won't waste any more months of my life waiting for you."

Stung, Kylie couldn't stop herself from lashing out. "Well you won't be nearly as glad as _I_ am to be rid of you! I don't know why you bothered in the first place!"

"I'm starting to wonder that myself!"

"_Great!_ So what are you still doing here!?"

Silence fell once more, and Sirius realized the answer to that question wasn't immediately apparent to him. He wanted to storm out in a blaze of wrath but his feet were being curiously uncooperative. Her fiery eyes had a hold of him, and he couldn't bring himself to look away – she was beautiful to him even now, furious as he was. They stared each other down, faces inches apart, two indomitable wills battling to see who would break away first.

Finally, he did.

He tore away from her and reached the door in a few strides, robes billowing out behind him. He didn't look back.

* * *

_A/N: Muahahaha, they're at it again! Please review and tell me all the ways my two main characters are oh so dumb!_


	14. Intoxicating Love

_Gentleman, behold!_

I… have finally submitted chapter fourteen!

(Gold star to anyone who gets this reference)

A warning: The end of this chapter veers into M-rated territory. It's nothing too explicit, just pushing the limits of T-rated. Hopefully it doesn't offend anybody :D.

Anyway, I'm just putting that out there so you know what's coming.

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: Intoxicating Love**

The sun was shining and the birds were singing, but the beautiful spring day was doing nothing to brighten James Potter's mood. Quidditch practice earlier that afternoon… had not gone well.

"Is it _really_ so much to ask that my teammates stay on speaking terms with each other? Has _any_ other captain ever had to deal with this much infighting in the history of the bloody sport? Honestly? What do you think, Moony!"

"Er…"

"Every other week it's some new personal drama! Somebody _always_ has to have a problem with somebody else! It _never ends!_"

Remus sat at his desk in their dormitory, unsure about how to phrase his response in a way that wouldn't rile James up any further. The disgruntled Quidditch captain's exasperated rant had been going on for near ten minutes now. Peter was watching him anxiously but Sirius appeared to be quite unaffected, lying on his bed and idly tossing and catching his wand.

"Give it a rest, James," he sighed grumpily.

"I would if you would cooperate! Will you finally explain what you and Kylie have been fighting about for the past two weeks?"

"I told you already, it's not important," he replied curtly.

"Look, just tell me what you said to her so we can figure out how resolve whatever the hell it is."

Sirius abruptly stopped tossing his wand and rolled off his bed. "I didn't say or do _anything._"

"Fine! Then what did _Kylie_ say to you?"

Sirius scoffed. "It's none of your business."

"Of course it is! Anything is my business when it affects the team!"

"Except it _doesn't_ affect the team. Chasers hardly interact with the Seeker, so why is it a problem if we're not speaking?"

"That's deliberately missing the point! You two are bringing your tension with you to the pitch – it's throwing everyone else off their game!"

"That's their problem, not mine."

"Now where are you going?"

"_For a bloody walk!_" he shouted back, finally losing his cool. He opened the door so forcefully it banged against the wall and disappeared down the spiral staircase.

"Bah!" James exclaimed, one of his legs making a jerking motion as if he unconsciously wanted to kick something. "I have had it up to _here_ with his mood swings!"

Peter blinked. "'Here'? Where's-"

"HERE!" James emphatically gestured with a hand by his face.

The corner of Remus' mouth twitched.

"I swear I'm ready to just give up. I've _got_ a reserve Chaser – Fields! Who says I can't get him in playing form in a few days?"

"But Fields was confined to the hospital wing with a mild case of Dragon pox, remember? He's out of commission for another two weeks at least." Remus pointed out lightly.

James seemed to deflate before their eyes. He collapsed backwards onto his bed, clamping his hands to his head "Okay, now I'm really giving up."

"_Tut, tut_, Potter," said a voice from the doorway. "That's not like you at all."

James sat up very quickly, eyes narrowed and hair sticking up in every direction. "Evans, this isn't the time or place!"

Lily grinned like a saucy minx. "Come now, you're not _still_ angry about our last counseling session, are you? I thought you took my comments about your lack of skill and virility and inability to… _satisfy_ a woman quite well. Although, I've never seen anyone turn that remarkable shade of red before…"

"_E-Evans_-!"

"Madam Pomfrey has been so helpful, too," Lily continued, now addressing a very amused looking Remus and Peter and ignoring James' motions of protest. "Offering all these suggestions about curing performance anxiety. I do hope you're taking her advice to heart, Potter."

Remus couldn't help a light grin. "You never mentioned anything about that, James."

There was a notably pink tinge to James' face as he tried to compose himself. "Ha, ha, very funny. Now, as _tickled_ as I am to hear you bringing it all up again, Evans, I'd really prefer that you save the 'performance' jokes for when I'm _not_ facing the disturbingly likely prospect of losing to Hufflepuff."

Lily smiled and leaned against the doorframe, holding up her hands. "Don't worry, Potter. I'm actually here because of your Quidditch team problem."

James raised a brow. "How so?"

"Well, I was going to ask you to make sure Gryffindor wins that match against Hufflepuff this weekend because it seems to be exactly the type of thing that will get Sirius and Kylie in a good enough mood to speak to each other again."

James groaned and flopped back onto his bed again. "Fat chance of that."

"Unfortunately, Lily," explained Remus. "Either outcome is likely impossible without the other happening first."

"Figures," she sighed. "Well… maybe we can work together to try and get those two to mend fences."

"Why do you suddenly care so much about the well-being of the Quidditch team?" asked James curiously.

She rolled her eyes with a laugh. "Surely you've noticed your team isn't the only thing affected by their ongoing fight? You guys' have seen how Sirius has been recently – taking out his anger on anyone who so much as looks at him the wrong way. There's a handful of people in the hospital wing getting de-hexed as we speak, and just now when he came thundering through the common room he inflated two third years' heads. As for Kylie… well, she's miserable. She's pretending not to be, but Taren, Kimmie and I can all tell. And I think she's going to continue being miserable until she and Sirius resolve this. But she's being so stubborn…"

"Has _she_ told you anything about what they're fighting about?" asked Remus.

"Because Sirius hasn't said a word," added Peter.

Lily shook her head. "No. Only that it had to with that fake rumor that Circe Billancourt started. Taren thinks they must have had an argument that just escalated into something else entirely."

"Considering neither of them will tell us what the problem is, I don't think there's much _we_ can do to fix it," spoke up James tetchily.

"Oh you of little faith, of course there is," Lily replied sweetly. "We just have to be creative."

"We could lock them in a room together, couldn't we?" Peter suggested eagerly. "That would force them to talk to each other."

"It would, but there are many ways I can see that idea backfiring, especially knowing those two," said Remus, folding his arms with a frown.

"And Sirius would see it coming from a mile away," smirked James.

"Sounds like more of a last resort option," said Lily. "No, I was thinking a more subtle route would be the way to go…"

They all looked at her expectantly as she paced about the room, brow furrowed in thought. "We could try to talk them down separately, make them less angry at each other by reminding them of the good times. One of my mum's friends is a couples therapist, and that's a method I've heard her talk about a few times."

"But that's for _couples_," said Peter with a puzzled expression. "Kylie and Sirius aren't _dating_."

An amused look passed between Lily and Remus. "They might as well be," she said.

"You know, that idea could really work," Remus said thoughtfully. "If their fight really just comes down to a misunderstanding, then they might soften towards each other if we can remind that they are much happier as friends than enemies."

"Great," Lily said brightly. "So let's go with it. You guys do your part with Sirius, and Taren, Kimmie and I will worry about Kylie."

"Wa-wa-wait a minute there, Evans," James said suddenly, sitting up again. "So that's it? I'm no… 'couples therapist', and as far as I know neither is Remus or Pete. Exactly what are we supposed to say to Sirius?"

"How should I know, Potter? You know him far better than I," Lily answered obviously. "I'm sure you guys will come up with something. Just don't to be too transparent about it lest you make him suspicious." She paused, smiling. "Come to think of it, it might be best if you just let Remus handle this. He's far less dense when it comes to this sort of thing."

"Why thank you, Lily."

She grinned at Remus and turned to leave, but James spoke up again.

"Yeah, but you know this doesn't really do my Quidditch problem much good. This plan of yours could take weeks. It may not even work at all."

"What's your point?" she asked.

"My point is that there's not much in it for _me_ to go along with your little plan."  
She smiled impishly. "Nice try, Potter, but we both know you want those two to stop fighting as much as I do. It's not like I'm asking a huge favor. Besides you should want to help out your _friend_ who's going to get suspended or worse if he keeps on hexing people left and right."

"…Alright, _maybe_," James conceded sheepishly.

Lily looked at him for a moment and sighed. "I'll promise to tell Madam Pomfrey in our next session that I made it all up. Is that enough motivation?"

James visibly brightened with a mischievous gleam in his eye. "I'd be even _more_ motivated if you would reverse completely and say that I'm actually _amazing_ in b-"

"Don't push your luck, Potter."

James grinned at Remus and Peter. "Well, it was worth a shot."

"You know," continued Lily. "All you had to do earlier was admit to Madam Pomfrey yourself that we really weren't…"

"Shagging."

This time it was Lily's turn to blush in flustered fashion. "Whatever. I'm just saying you didn't have to sit there and listen to me go on and on. You could have saved yourself a lot of embarrassment."

James' mouth turned up in a crooked, self-deprecating smile. "I can be stubborn too."

"Indeed you can," she said, and there was a trace of fondness in her voice that surprised even her.

There was a beat of silence as they looked at each other, before Lily suddenly remembered that Remus and Peter were in the room – watching their little exchange with amused interest, as a matter of fact. She brushed back her hair awkwardly and headed towards the door.

"Now, as for your Quidditch problem, Potter, all I can say is that a good captain should be able to get his team through anything." She glanced back at him with a teasing wink. "Think of this as an opportunity to prove yourself."

"That's not bad advice," Remus commented after she'd left. "Don't you think, James?"

James was gazing affectionately at the place Lily had stood a moment before and didn't appear to have heard him.

"James?"

"Hmm? Oh… yeah, yeah I guess so."

* * *

The following morning found the four girls seated in the Great Hall enjoying their breakfast before classes as usual. On this particular morning, however, Lily, Kimmie and Taren were exchanging meaningful looks, each thinking how to go best go about implementing Lily's plan. The night before, after Kylie had gone to bed early, the three of them had had a discussion over it, particularly about how to strike up the necessary conversation. They'd been unable to come up with an ideal strategy, unfortunately, torn between trying their hands at gentle but slightly underhanded persuasion to just going for a direct approach. Kylie had been so withdrawn that week – it was hard to tell exactly what she was thinking or to gauge how she might react when she realized what they were up to.

They cast uncertain glances at each other across the table again, at the same time pretending to be focused on their food or making idle small talk so Kylie wouldn't notice their odd behavior.

Not that Kylie was paying enough attention to notice anything strange about her friends at the moment. She poked at her scrambled eggs with her fork, staring at the plate with the expression she'd been wearing almost continuously since Monday – it was somber mixed with frustration and anger, a combination that could only hint at the whirlwind of emotions going on beneath the surface.

It was Taren who finally decided to take the initiative, when she saw Kylie look down to the end of the Gryffindor table with that same face. Sirius was down there, of course, and he looked just as taciturn. James and Remus were saying something to him, evidently something he found annoying because he got up a second later to leave. As he did so, his eyes flickered reflexively over to their area of the table to rest on Kylie for the briefest of moments. His jaw tightened and he turned away abruptly, striding out of the Great Hall.

Kylie winced as if in pain, and it was as clear as day to her friends that she was trying not reveal how much that slight had bothered her.

"Kylie, how long are you going to keep this up?" Taren asked in that quiet way of hers.

Kylie looked at her, caught off guard. "Keep up what…?" She faltered, realizing each of her friends was gazing at her now with matching imploring faces. It felt like an intervention.

"Guys…" she began with a sigh.

"You've been down this road before," Taren continued gently. "And you know where it goes. I've lost track of how many times you've been in one of these 'non-speaking terms' phases with Sirius. But they never last." She smiled entreatingly. "You two always end up friends again. And Lily, Kimmie and I think there's a very good reason for that."

Kylie shifted uncomfortably. "Is that right?"

"You _like_ each other," Kimmie stated firmly. Kylie opened her mouth to argue but she kept talking. "I know you don't want to admit it but you _do_. You enjoy each other's company more than anything. And it's always been that way - even before the Halloween masquerade you guys just… clicked."

"Even more so after you started spending more time with him this year. It took the three of us a while to realize it, but we can all see it now," added Lily. "It's why we don't like seeing you two fighting or letting misunderstandings come between you."

Kylie scowled in irritation. "Why does it matter so much to you guys if he and I are friends or not? Look, friends fight! And sometimes friendships end because of it. Sometimes it's just not meant to be."

"No." Lily shook her head. "No, that's not the case with you and Sirius."

"_Why_ not?"

"Because you're _unhappy,_" Lily replied forcefully. "You hate this situation and you _know_ Sirius hates it too. And as your friends, we don't want to sit around and watch you carry on being unhappy like this."

"I _am_ happy," Kylie said insistently, her jaw set in a stubborn line. "Happy as a clam, in fact."

"Kylie…"

"I've gotten exactly what I wanted, alright? I've wanted Sirius to leave me alone for months and he finally is. I never wanted to… to _start_ anything with him. And I'm glad, no, I'm _overjoyed,_ that I don't have to deal with his bollocks anymore."

She got up, swinging her bag over her shoulder and marched away from the table. Kimmie let out an exasperated sigh.

"This may take a while, guys."

"Don't give up yet, Kim," said Lily as she stood up. "We're getting through to her, I know it."

She hurried into the Entrance Hall where she caught up with Kylie making her way down to the dungeons for their Friday morning Potions class.

"Lily," Kylie began anxiously, when she came up beside her. "Please just drop i-"

"That wasn't true what you said back there, Kylie."

"I _told_ you, I'm-"

"No, listen. If you really never wanted to 'start' anything with Sirius, if you never wanted him in your life, then you_ never_ would have come up with a blackmailing scheme that required you to spend hours and hours alone together."

Kylie froze mid-step. She looked at Lily, but quickly found it hard to meet her penetrating green stare.

"But…"

"You would have come up with something else. In fact, you would never have bothered to get yourself in that situation in the first place. _You_ figured out his secret, Kylie. You took the first step that brought him into your life because deep down, it's what you_ wanted_. And you know what? It's what Sirius wanted, too. Oh, I'm sure he grumbled and groaned about those lessons, but let's face it; he could have easily gotten himself out of the deal if he wanted. After you discovered the circumstances, especially about Remus, there was no way you were going turn them in. You both must have known that, even if you didn't acknowledge it. What does it tell you about him that he stayed and put up with teaching you when he didn't have too?"

Kylie folded her arms and said nothing. Her eyes betrayed her conflicting emotions.

"So don't pretend that this is what you want, Kylie," Lily said quietly. "Don't lie to yourself about wanting Sirius in your life, or how much you care that he's not talking to you now."

They looked at each other for a moment, and something in Kylie's demeanor finally seemed to give in a fraction. "What do you want me to do, Lily?"

"_Talk_ to him."

She groaned, ran a hand through her hair and paced about the dungeon corridor in an agitated circle. "It's not that simple. This fight – it was different this time, Lily. The things we said – what _I _said to him…"

"I'm sure anything you said to him can be undone by a simple apology. He'll forgive you-"

Kylie shook her head. "I don't know that he will." She choked a bit on the last word.

Voices echoed down the hall as the other sixth years Potions students showed up and filed past them towards their classroom. Lily and Kylie looked up just as Sirius appeared, followed closely by James and Remus. A cold glance was all he offered Kylie as he swept by, and a part of her seemed to shrink into the shadows of the wall.

"Kylie…"

"Let's not be late for class, Lily."

The potions dungeon was already teeming in vapors, which meant Professor Hooke had set up cauldrons of demonstration potions again. A dizzying combination of oddly sweet and enticing smells emitted from cauldrons lining the long table in the middle of the classroom, and there were quite a few students sniffing the air interestedly as they proceeded past them.

"Smells like love potions," commented Taren as she and Kimmie sat down at Lily and Kylie's table.

"They can't be," uttered Kimmie under her breath with a grin. "Hooke would never teach us how to make those."

"Well they _are_ apparently on the N.E.W.T. exam," remarked Lily.

"Yes, but we won't have to make one for the practical – I mean most of these potions take ages to brew, sometimes days. We'll probably just have questions about them on the theory exam," added Taren. She leaned forward to catch a whiff of the spirals of steam rising from the cauldron nearest their table. Her eyes widened, blinked rapidly a few times and then took on an almost dreamy look. "Wow, that must be Amortentia."

"Amortentia… really?" gasped Lily. "I've heard about that. It's supposed to be one of the most powerful love potions in the world."

Kimmie grinned. "What's up with you, Taren? You look like you just woke up from a very sexy daydream."

Taren blushed and grinned back. "I can't help it – it's the scent. I'd heard that it's supposed to smell differently to everyone, according to what attracts us. And, well, it's true."

"Ooh, excellent." Kimmie leaned forward as well and inhaled. She flopped back into her chair with a giggle. "_Hee hee_, that's amazing. I think I can smell every type of men's cologne I've ever liked and… what do you know, chocolate pudding. What about you?"

"Mine smells like green tea, strangely enough. And I think rosemary herbs, and a bit of coconut."

"You're so random, Taren. And how about you, Lily?"

"Nothing that need concern you, Kim," replied Lily, smiling lightly. She glanced at Kylie, noticing that she was eyeing the Amortentia cauldron evasively and trying to lean as far out of reach of the fumes as possible.

Kimmie giggled again. "You're just worried that you're gonna smell James in that potion, aren't you?"

Lily smirked with humor. "Hardly. I don't find overbearing ego to be a particularly attractive odor."

They continued to chat and chortle, but Kylie was too preoccupied to listen. She had a good idea about what _she_ might smell in that love potion, and the prospect of finding out for sure was not an appealing one. She didn't need any reminders about what she found attractive. It would just be depressing.

Professor Hooke came striding into the room at that moment, swiftly shutting the heavy door behind him. "Cease your talking," he barked at the class, already in a bad mood.

_Probably due to the love potions_, thought Kylie wryly.

"Today we will be examining a selection of potions designed to elicit strong, emotional reactions ranging from affection to extreme, obsessive ardor, most commonly referred to as love potions." Hooke's face was sour, no doubt because articulating words like 'ardor' and 'love' didn't come easy to him. "_I_ personally don't find much stock in them, but there is a very high probability that you will be tested on them in your N.E.W.T. examinations so it falls upon me to prepare you for that eventuality. If it was up to me to set the content of the examination it'd be another story entirely but…" He trailed off with a scowl. "Now, I require that everyone stand and file past each of the cauldrons before you, and inhale every one. Go on, no dawdling!"

Chairs scraped the stone floor and robes rustled as each student got to their feet and lined up on each side of the table as Hooke continued lecturing.

"Most love potion recognition comes from scent because they do not differ much in appearance and nearly all of them can be mixed with ordinary beverages without losing their potency. Take note of each brew's smell carefully so that you remember it. And no one, I repeat, _no one_ is to swipe so much as a flask for your own personal use! Be assured that anyone caught doing so will get detention for the rest of the month! Now, you will start with the most potent potion, Amortentia, which you will notice carries a unique scent for everyone…"

Kylie tuned Hooke out when it was her turn by the Amortentia, and she hesitantly closed her eyes as she gently breathed in the silvery vapors. A feeling of warm, cozy contentment washed over her instantly, and the sensation was not unlike slipping into a hot bubble bath. And the scent… She caught the comforting smell of the pages of a brand new book cracked open for the first time, the honey-like aroma of broomstick varnish, and a woodsy, musky scent which she recognized to be all Sirius. It was his hair, his skin, his aftershave…

She exhaled slowly, feeling quite light-headed. By chance her eyes strayed across the table to spot Sirius, who was just at that moment reaching the cauldron as well. A stray thought darted across her mind, wondering – hoping? - if he could smell something that reminded him of her in that cauldron. He appeared a little dazed and distracted for a second, just as affected as everyone else in the room. But it did not seem to have contented him one bit.

He blinked and looked up to catch her watching him, and she quickly turned away, embarrassed. _Just a fool's hope…_

_

* * *

_

Sirius was rapidly wishing this trying day could be over. First, his three friends had spontaneously become nostalgic about their past years at Hogwarts, and had been regaling each other loudly about all those 'good times' from the moment they'd gotten out of the bed and all the way through breakfast. Now, normally this wouldn't be that strange. The four of them occasionally reminisced about all their past pranks, adventures and misdeeds and got a good laugh out of them.

But Sirius wasn't in the reminiscing mood, especially if the only stories James, Remus and Peter wanted to talk about were ones that somehow involved Kylie.

Like the day of their first flying lesson, when he and James got into a showdown with some of the Slytherin first years about who had the best flying skills while Madam McKinch was fortuitously distracted by an injured student. A midnight Quidditch challenge was hatched to settle the matter, which involved sneaking out that night, breaking into the broom shed and meeting at the pitch for the match. Kylie was the only other Gryffindor, in fact the only girl, brave enough to take part. He'd barely known her at that point, and had actually been annoyed that she'd shown up, thinking she would just get in his and James' way. But her flying that night had impressed him. The three of them proved to be quite a team against Thackeray, Lestrange, Jugson and Avery, and they most certainly would have won if Snape hadn't tipped off Filch, whose arrival had forced them to cut the match short in order to hurry back to their common room before he could catch them. Sirius had no doubt that it was due to that night the three of them were able to work together so seamlessly the following year when they tried out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

Then of course there was the first time they'd won the Quidditch House Cup, another memorable occasion. It was against Slytherin, and probably one of the ugliest, most brutal matches Hogwarts had ever seen, with the Slytherins committing just about every foul in the rule book and even some that weren't. Five hours in the pouring rain they'd played – nobody could see what was going on in the torrent, especially not the usually hapless Madam McKinch as referee, and so there was all manner of illegal maneuvering, ramming, colliding, even punching and kicking, and the occasional thrown hex. Obviously, Kylie was a part of the story too as she had played Seeker – she had been so riled up by the Slytherins that even she resorted to dirty tactics, careening into one of the Slytherin Beaters and nearly knocking him off his broom because he had been swinging his bat at Gryffindor players rather than Bludgers.

And then there was the Great Prank War of '75, the unofficial title given to the three chaotic months back in fifth year when a relatively small prank conflict between some Ravenclaw and Slytherin seventh years served as the powder keg to set off a full-fledged war that eventually drew in all four houses with students of every year involved. That was the year the Levicorpus hex was discovered by the student body, which certainly made some of the prank battles interesting. People were getting hexed left and right – one couldn't walk two steps without bumping into someone with an inflated head, donkey ears, whiskers, antlers, or an extraordinarily severe acne breakout. It had been a glorious affair, sneaking around to plot various ambushes or having secret meetings to forge temporary alliances with other houses. Sirius and James had been two of the most active 'warriors' for Gryffindor, becoming de facto Captains rallying their fellow housemates to victory in many battles (victory was decreed to be whoever had the most people left conscious or moderately unscathed after a fight). Throughout the war the Prefects had stayed out of the conflict (they mostly gave up trying to discipline anybody because of the sheer number of students breaking the rules every day). But by the last two weeks or so most of them had given in and joined the fray, and amongst them was Kylie. He remembered she had shot off a well-aimed Shield Charm that had protected him and James from what would have been a rather painful Searing Hex when a couple of the Fanatics ambushed them in the courtyard. Then she had helped them force the Slytherins to retreat.

It was at this point in their reminiscing that Sirius had caught on to the inordinate number of times Kylie's name had been mentioned. Having realized what his friends were trying to do, he abruptly took his leave of the Great Hall to get some peace and quiet for a moment before classes started the day.

How many times did he have to tell them to just let it go? All week they had been pestering him about Kylie, James especially. And now they apparently thought he needed reminding of the 'good old days', back when things were simpler with her, as if that was supposed to cool his ire or something. Just because they'd had a lot of fun over the years didn't change what she'd said and done now. What were they playing at? Why couldn't they understand that he didn't want to hear about her anymore? He was sick of her mistrust, insecurities and general lack of faith in him and didn't want to deal with it – end of story. James, Remus and Peter didn't need to know the finer details about their fight.

_But _why_ are you so determined not to tell them? _asked the nagging voice of his conscious (which sounded suspiciously like Remus at times). _Is it because you're afraid they'll persuade you to forgive her if they understood what happened? Convince you that you're not as angry as you think you are?_

_Shut up, Remus-voice. _

_What would be so wrong with giving her another chance, anyway? After all you're just trying to punish her, hurt her as badly as she hurt you…_

_ I said shut the hell up!_

So it was in a most dour mood that Sirius showed up in the Potions dungeon, a mood which only grew worse the second he realized what the subject matter of today's lesson was going to be. Of all things it had to be _love potions_.

He tried to steel himself when his turn by the Amortentia came, unsure of what to expect, really. He reluctantly breathed in the fumes, and for just one brief moment everything that had been on his mind that week simply washed away. He was reminded of motorcycle tires, and the crisp, clean smell of a moonlit night after a rainfall – the smell of freedom. And then came another fragrance, the most enticing – a fresh, flowery scent with hints of vanilla and sun-kissed apples. It was an intoxicating invasion of his senses, and it took some willpower to draw himself out of his haze.

_Well _of course_ you were going to smell her_, _mate_. _Don't act so surprised._ This time the voice sounded like James. He sighed and tried to push that thought away, but his glance strayed across the table regardless.

She was watching him tentatively but quickly turned away when their eyes met. It was a sad, dejected motion, so unlike what he was used to from her. Kylie had always been a little awkward and self-conscious, but she was also a spitfire. Stubborn and passionate, a Gryffindor at heart, who would never back down from anything or anyone even if deep down she was terrified.

He didn't want to feel guilty. Not at all. But it couldn't be anything other than guilt clenching tightly at his stomach now. She should have been glaring at him like she usually was, full of pride and wrath at his latest misdeed or teasing comment. He knew how to handle that, at least. But he couldn't take seeing her looking like a crestfallen little lamb, or a kicked puppy… especially when it was because of _him._

Damn it, he wasn't supposed to be the guilty one! He was supposed to be angry at _her_, not himself!

Hooke was now going on about the ingredients in Libertentia, a potion that supposedly compelled the drinker to act on any attractions they might have. Sirius tried to listen but his efforts were in vain. He kept glimpsing Kylie out of the corner of his eye, unbearably sad and beautiful, and he could think of little else.

* * *

"I basically told him that I didn't believe in him – that I never did," Kylie said quietly as she stared into the depths of her untouched butterbeer bottle. It was the weekend of their last Hogsmeade trip of the year, so Lily, Taren and Kimmie had determined to drag Kylie down to the Three Broomsticks later that Friday evening. The always jovial mood at the pub had not exactly cheered her up, but she had finally been coaxed into recounting the details of her fight with Sirius. "That's why he hates me now."

"He doesn't hate you," Lily said gently.

"Doesn't he?"

"No, because if he _did_ he wouldn't have to try so hard to hate you."

"And he wouldn't be sneaking glances at you every time he thinks you're not looking," added Kimmie.

"…He is?" Kylie looked tentatively across the breadth of the crowded Three Broomsticks where Sirius was seated at a booth with James, Remus and Peter. He was frowning, looking to be in as a bad a mood as ever as he leaned back in his seat and stared at the table, ignoring the others' conversation. He was also, as far as Kylie could tell, not trying to sneak looks in her direction.

"He _was_ looking at you, Kylie," Kimmie insisted. "He did it at least twice in the last ten minutes."

Kylie sighed gloomily. "You guys don't have to try and put a positive spin on this. I… I deserve it. He has every right to despise me." All three of them tried to argue at once but she spoke up again, "He _does_. I made him believe that I was just stringing him along for months, that the deal we made was a lie from the start. And… it wasn't even about the deal, really. It was the way I reacted to Circe's _stupid_ rumors… God, he must think I was just waiting for any excuse to get rid of him. Like I thought he was worthless to me."

"But that's not true, right?" Lily said after a moment's pause.

"What?"

"He wasn't worthless to you?"

"No! Of course not," Kylie said emphatically with a shake of her head.

"And did you really expect him to break his promise?"

"…At first I did… But it was different three months ago! Guys, I didn't understand why he was interested in me. I thought the bet was just about his ego, not me - I agreed to it expecting him to get bored and move on before the After-Newts Ball. Frankly I still don't know why he made such an effort over me when he could have _anyone _else he wanted. What made me any different from other girls he's gone through?"

Lily exchanged pointed, slightly exasperated looks with Taren and Kimmie. "All the same, Kylie, was there even just a small part of you that hoped he _would_ win the bet?"

Kylie managed a brief, weak smile. "Yes. But I didn't think it was… realistic to get my hopes up."

"You need to let yourself trust him, Kylie," stated Taren as she straitened in her seat. "It sounds like your own lack of confidence is the root of the problem."

Lily nodded encouragingly. "I agree. If you made Sirius feel worthless, Kylie, it's probably because you keep putting yourself down."

"And you need to _stop_," Kimmie said, slapping the table for emphasis and causing the rest of them to jump. "As I told you this morning, he _likes_ you, okay? Sirius _likes_ you a lot. And you wanna know why? It's because you're _brilliant_, dammit. We think so, and Sirius _especially_ thinks so. He made such an effort over you because he knows you're ten times the girl any of those 'other' girls are. You know what makes you different from them? You challenge him, you don't fawn over him like a sycophant. You can hold a decent conversation because you have a brain and you're interested in things besides just your hair or make up or clothes. You share passions and hobbies and a sense of humor. I could go on but I think I've made my point. The _important_ thing is that unless you stop wallowing in self-doubt and start believing in yourself, he's going to _forget_ how brilliant you are." She let out a deep breath. "And that's… what I have to say about that."

Taren and Lily stared at her in surprise, but Kylie's mouth turned up in what was her first real smile in days.

"I… think I needed to hear that… Thanks, Kim."

"You're welcome," Kimmie replied as she took a dignified sip of butterbeer. "Furthermore, I strongly suggest that you approach Sirius outright to apologize. Show some initiative and make him listen to you. And for Merlin's sake have a little more confidence in yourself and don't be so terrified of rejection or being disappointed in him. Life is about taking risks! Leaps of faith!"

"So says Kimmie, the all-knowing guru of life experiences," said Taren with a grin.

"Damn straight."

"And I'll add that you should try to sort this out with Sirius before your Quidditch match tomorrow," said Lily with a laugh. "Potter's having palpitations over the thought that you guys might lose to Hufflepuff."

"Is that concern for James' I hear coming from you, Lily?" teased Taren.

Lily smiled and waved that suggestion off. "Don't get too excited. I am merely being a concerned fellow Gryffindor."

They stayed at the Three Broomsticks for a little while longer until Kimmie suddenly remembered that a brand new fashion boutique had opened in Hogsmeade, and they would be open late for student visiting weekends. She promptly hauled the rest of them to the store and squealed like a ten-year-old over ice-cream over the handful of dress robes in the window display. Apparently they were by some new young hotshot designer who was rocking the witch fashion world – of course only Kimmie had ever heard of her so Lily, Taren and Kylie couldn't really see what all the fuss was about.

Once inside the store Kimmie's excitement was infectious, and soon enough even Kylie was managing to enjoy herself as they helped Kimmie pick out dresses to try on. She had to admit some of them were quite nice. She might have even been tempted to buy one for herself… assuming a certain someone would ever stop ignoring her existence and want to look at her again.

"What d'you think of this one?" Kimmie asked as she twirled around in a floaty periwinkle blue gown that set off her fair skin and dark hair prettily.

"It's gorgeous, Kim," said Taren. "Blue has always been your color."

"Are you sure it's not too pricey?" Lily asked tentatively as she examined a rack of gowns. "Some of these things cost a small fortune."

Kimmie waved a dismissive hand. "It's my seventeenth birthday coming up and my parents promised to get me something amazing for my coming of age…." She peaked at the price tag and winced. "…Of course if it's _too_ much I could always just rent it only for the After-Newts ball."

Kimmie glanced up at that moment and something outside the store window captured her attention. They all followed her gaze to see that the Marauders were passing by the store. James spotted them through the window and nudged Sirius. Judging by their gestures, he and Remus were trying to persuade him to go into the store.

Sirius met her eyes through the window and for a few hopeful seconds Kylie believed he might actually do it. There was indecision in his face, confliction.

His anger won out in the end, because he brushed past his friends a moment later and strode off down the street, back towards Hogwarts. Remus gave Kylie a sympathetic glance through the window before they went after him.

There was a beat of tense silence in their corner of the store.

"Nothing like the arrival of a dark and broody Sirius to kill the mood," noted Taren.

Kimmie smirked. "It's like a stormy cloud swirls above his head everywhere he goes, zapping passersby with little lightning bolts."

Kylie didn't have the heart to laugh with the rest of them. Having lost her appetite for gown shopping, she quietly took her leave and found an empty bench outside to wait for her friends. It was a balmy warm night and this particular stretch of Hogsmeade street was devoid of people. Kylie was glad for the solitude, needing a few minutes to herself.

They all made it sound so easy, her friends. It didn't seem to her that getting Sirius' forgiveness was as simple as having self-confidence and apologizing for her shoddy treatment of him. What could she say to him that wouldn't come across as laughable at best and pathetic at worst?

Somehow she doubted Sirius would be swayed if she told him that she had treated him like crap because… she had a tendency to treat herself like crap. He might laugh in her face at such an excuse. Or more likely, Kylie thought as she watched the figures of Sirius, James, Remus and Peter fading into the distance, he wouldn't sit still long enough for her to even finish explaining herself.

Until that moment Kylie hadn't realized she'd been idly stroking her smoky quartz pendant. Ever since Sirius had given it to her she'd been in the habit of wearing it almost every day, and not just because the pendant stored memories better the more she wore it. It matched just about anything and seemed to set off any outfit. She also had to admit that it had felt good displaying something Sirius had given in public for the world to see. Even after their fight she'd continued to wear it, usually keeping it hidden under her clothes.

The quartz felt cool against her skin. It had been a while since she had opened it up and perused her memories for the fun of it. Since now was as good a time as any, she unclasped and opened the stone halves, silently willing the magic of the pendant to activate.

It helped to be focused when using the pendant, but her mind was a jumble of thoughts and emotions, and she wasn't entirely sure what memory she wanted to explore anyway. Tiny images flickered in and out within the pendant, flashes of her face, her friends, but mostly of Sirius. It was Sirius smiling and laughing with her – memories of him before she had screwed up everything.

The pendant was narrowing down to select memories now, trying to find exactly what she was looking for. Its magic had a knack for that: figuring out what she wanted to see before she knew herself by reading her subconscious. She recognized last New Year's Eve clearly, when Sirius had flown her to London on his motorcycle and given her the pendant. She had stubbornly refused to admit to herself for so long that that night had been one of the best of her life.

The pendant's images circulated further back, much further into her past. She glimpsed various scenes of life before her sixth year at Hogwarts, before she and Sirius had really gotten to know each other. They'd had such a tenuously balanced relationship back then. She had wanted to feel nothing but disdain for him and his conceited, bullying ways, but she'd been forced to tolerate him when they both made the Quidditch team. And of course, sometimes his charm and wit made it very hard to dislike him.

She wondered if things might have turned out very differently for them both if there had been a slight change in circumstances. What if, for whatever reason, both of them never ended up making the Gryffindor Quidditch team? Better yet, what if they'd ended up in different houses? Would she have turned up her nose at Sirius' wild antics from the lofty Ravenclaw tower or the Hufflepuff tunnels, never getting to know the other side of him? If they had not been placed into each other's company by circumstance as they were in Gryffindor, would Sirius have ever known she existed?

The pendant was swirling in memories again, and she knew it had suddenly decided which one to fixate on when it expanded outwards to form a three dimensional image in her open palms. It was like looking into a snow globe with no glass, with a very lifelike scene playing out inside. By relaxing her mind and just focusing on the pendant, Kylie could hear everything going on in the memory playing out before her. If she so chose, she could also concentrate just right and let her mind dive directly into the memory as with a Pensieve, re-experiencing the scene as if she'd travelled back in time.

This time she contented herself with just looking on from afar. The familiar setting of Platform 9¾ had materialized in her hands, and Kylie spotted herself struggling to load her heavy trunk onto the Hogwarts Express. She realized with surprise that this was from all the way back to the first day of Hogwarts. She couldn't believe how small she looked – how small everyone had looked. She could pick out the eleven year old faces of her classmates in the crowd of students milling about the platform.

Kylie's eleven year old self looked like she'd been crying earlier. She remembered she'd been upset that day because her parents had broken their promise to be there when she boarded the train for her first year at school. They had instead flown off to South America the day before because a groundbreaking magical archaeological site had just been uncovered in Peru. Mrs. Eliot had taken her to King's Cross, but Kylie had been too embarrassed to be accompanied by her housekeeper instead of her parents so she had insisted on going through the magical barrier on her own. Thus she had ended up having to try and load her trunk by herself without much luck.

Just as she was now remembering, a boy appeared next to her eleven year old self and helped her lift her trunk all the way up the steps. Even back then Sirius had been taller than her. Her younger self thanked him without directly looking at him – she hadn't wanted him to see traces of her tears.

"No problem," Sirius said, brushing his hair out of his eyes and giving her a friendly smile – that was the first time she saw the trademark smile, except at that point it wasn't quite so devastating as it would become in just a few years. It was the smile that drew her eye and caused little Kylie to finally look at him properly. His attention moved to loading his own trunk up the steps, and little Kylie was debating in her head whether or not to ask if they ought to find a compartment together – it was plain as day in her face.

_Am I always that transparent? Or was it just when I was eleven?_ Kylie wondered.

Sirius strode off on his own down the train corridor before little Kylie could work up the nerve to say anything. She let a resigned sigh and went off on her own to find a compartment – it was where she was going to meet Kimmie for the first time. Lily and Taren she would not meet until they reached Hogwarts.

As if spurred on by her thought process, the memory before her dissolved and reformed into the small chamber off to the side of the Great Hall where the first years were brought to await the Sorting Ceremony. Three students were standing imposingly against one lone student, and the rest of the first years had backed up against the walls of the room, not wanting to get involved in a fight on their very first day. Kylie recognized the lone student to be James, and the three facing him were Rodolphus Lestrange, Grigori Jugson and Cyril Avery, each soon-to-be Slytherins and future Fanatics.

The memory came flooding back to her as she watched. A moment earlier she remembered that Lestrange had been loudly mocking another boy, Devon Hendricks. Devon, a Muggleborn, had been voicing his thoughts out loud about the benefits of each House and which one he thought he might get in to. Lestrange had overheard him mentioning Slytherin and laughed obnoxiously about a 'Mudblood thinking he could be a Slytherin.' Devon was a proud kid, and he had recently learned about the insult of being called a Mudblood, so his first and reckless instinct was to shove the much larger Lestrange and demand an apology. Lestrange, egged on by Jugson and Avery, shoved him back and knocked the kid roughly into the wall. James stepped in, calling Lestrange out to pick on someone his own size.

"Back down, Potter, or I'll make you regret it," Lestrange said threateningly. It was clear they were already acquainted. Kylie had wondered if this was a continuation of an earlier confrontation on the Hogwarts Express.

"You're welcome to try, you inbred ape," James retorted fearlessly. A few people gasped. Some laughed. It was well known how sensitive some purebloods were about the 'inbred' accusation, and it certainly was an apt description for Lestrange in particular.

Lestrange scowled but seemed hesitant to make a move. He knew had a formidable opponent in James. That's when Jugson and Avery moved to stand beside him.

Kylie had to smile to herself, watching this scene six years later. A confrontation between eleven year olds thinking they were tough stuff was a little ridiculous looking, but at the time she had been quite scared, wondering if someone was going to get hurt and constantly checking the door hoping Professor McGonagall would return to stop it.

Lestrange smirked, emboldened. "Now what, Potter?"

A low chuckle drifted through the room, and Sirius leisurely stepped forward to stand next to James. "He's waiting for a couple more of your mates to come back you up so we can have a fair fight."

Several people laughed and Lestrange flushed. He always was a thin-skinned punk.

"Go on, we'll wait," Sirius added. "I think four or five more guys on your side should just about it even it up. Wouldn't you say, James?"

"That sounds about right," James replied, grinning. "As long as you and I had our hands tied behind our backs."

More laughter ensued. Thankfully McGonagall returned a second later, so Lestrange could only slink glumly back into the crowd as she began directing them into the Great Hall.

Kylie noticed that her eleven year old self was smiling and kept darting looks at Sirius like she couldn't help herself. She could remember all the admiring thoughts she'd had in that moment:_ 'He's so cool and brave and funny… He even helped me with my trunk before!'_ And so on. Above all she had been thinking about how much she wished she could be as bold and confident as him.

Of course, over the next few weeks her younger self was going to discover that James and Sirius loved bullying almost as much as the Slytherin Fanatics.

_So it's not like I was absolutely captivated with him from the moment I met him_, Kylie thought to herself, as if she was trying to argue with the pendant. _It wasn't long before I could barely stand him! Just because I _might_ have been a little taken with him on that first day doesn't mean anything-_

The pendant was responding to her thought process again, because the scene dissolved and reformed into the Sorting Ceremony. Sirius was one of the first kids to be sorted, and he also became the first new Gryffindor of the year.

Something clicked in her memory as she watched her younger self watching Sirius take his seat amongst the applauding Gryffindors. She understood, now, why the pendant's subconscious-interpreting magic was showing her this day of all days.

Several more kids got sorted after Sirius, including Taren, Kimmie and Lily. Soon enough Professor McGonagall called out "Hart, Kyleen!"

Before coming to Hogwarts, Kylie had not been sure what House she would be in. Her family history included mostly Ravenclaws and a handful of Slytherins. There had been the rare Gryffindor over the decades and never any Hufflepuffs as far she knew. The only thing Kylie was certain of before that day was that she didn't want to be a Slytherin, since it was the House of so many of her least favorite relatives.

That had all changed within the span of a few minutes during the ceremony. As the Sorting Hat was placed on Kylie's head, she cherished a secret hope that it would place her in Gryffindor.

Much to her surprise, the hat, which was debating between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, heard her wish and granted it.

She watched her younger self walk shakily over to the Gryffindor table and sit by her future best friends, Lily, Taren and Kimmie. She glanced at Sirius again but quickly looked away when their eyes met, her cheeks slightly pink - the first time she ever blushed because of him.

Kylie sighed softly, shaking her head. The scene in her hands blinked out of sight as she closed the pendant, and she leaned back against the Hogsmeade bench.

Lily's words to her that morning suddenly seemed especially poignant. Not only had Kylie been the one to initiate a closer relationship with Sirius, but a secret, spontaneous little wish had also gotten herself into the same House as him six years earlier. She'd managed to forget that little detail over the years – she may have forced it from her memory within just a few weeks of seeing the egotistical, less noble side of Sirius.

_And it just became too painful to keep on carrying a torch for him after I realized how out of my league he was_, she thought with a pang.

But he wasn't out of her league anymore. Maybe he never was. And all she had to do to figure that out was to stop getting in her own way…

A prickling sensation on the back of her neck drew Kylie out of her reverie. She felt like she was being watched. Straitening, her eyes scanned the fairly well lit street, noticing it was deserted and wondering if she was imagining things.

She turned to her right suddenly, her eyes snapping onto an alleyway between two Hogsmeade shops just a few feet away. The street lamps' light didn't reach it, and it seemed to be full of ominous shadows. Was there somebody standing there, watching her?

She grew tense, and her fingers closed instinctively around her wand in her pocket. Before she could pull it out and cast _Lumos_ to check it out, though, the doors to the boutique burst open and her friends poured out, laughing as they struggled to squeeze Kimmie's bursting shopping bags through the thin doorway.

"Hey Kylie!" laughed Lily. "Believe it or not this is only half of what she wanted to buy."

"Yeah, we had to drag her out of there before she bought up the whole store," added Taren.

Kimmie gasped. "Oh but I forgot to get those cute dancing slippers! I'll just be a minu-"

Taren quickly hooked her arm through Kimmie's and began leading her away from the store. "Oh no you don't – that's enough shopping for one evening."

"Come on – let's call it a night," Lily called, grinning. She looked around for Kylie. "You alright?"

Kylie was eyeing the alleyway apprehensively. The arrival of her friends had distracted her, and in those few seconds the feeling of being watched had faded. She wondered if there really had been someone standing there at all.

Chalking it up to too much butterbeer earlier, Kylie turned and shook her head at Lily. "It's nothing. Let's go."

* * *

Saturday afternoon came in no time at all. Twenty minutes before she was due on the Quidditch pitch for Gryffindor's match against Hufflepuff, Kylie found herself pacing around the corridor outside the boys' locker room. She was already dressed in her gear and fidgeting restlessly with the buckles on her arm bracers, futilely attempting to calm her frenzied nerves. It wasn't the match she was worried about, but the prospect of being alone and face to face with Sirius for the first time since their blazing row two weeks earlier.

James had agreed to help arrange the meeting by delaying Sirius in the locker room long enough for the rest of the team to change and leave, giving Kylie the chance to see him at least for short while before the match. She only needed a few minutes, she had told him.

Unfortunately, Kylie was starting to believe she would need longer than that to say what she needed to say. Her heart felt like it was in her throat, and her head whirred with all the things she needed to tell him. Everything that could possibly go wrong kept playing out in her mind's eye. She didn't know if she could bear it if his opinion of her got any worse.

Honestly, it was ridiculous the effect he had on her.

_Pull yourself together, Kylie_, she commanded herself sternly. She had been putting off this confrontation all day and she owed it to Sirius and herself to make this right.

After a brief commotion, Miguel, Ricky and Toby emerged from the locker room, chatting and jostling with typical pre-match swagger. She was glad that they, at least, were in better spirits compared to their most recent practice.

James' voice drifted out from inside, telling Sirius he would meet him on the pitch. He appeared in the corridor a second later and nodded at Kylie.

"He's all yours," he said, giving her an exaggerated wink as if she was going in there to ravish Sirius or something. His humor coaxed a brief little smile from her and eased her anxiety considerably.

Sirius was strapping on his boots when she walked in. His back was turned to her, but he heard the rustle of her Quidditch robes and looked around. Their eyes met, and he abruptly stilled. For a heartbeat they just stared at each other.

He looked away, his face a mask.

"I know you don't want to talk me," she began cautiously. She waited but he said nothing, merely returning to strapping on his leg gear. "But that's okay, because right now I just need you to listen."

"Talk fast," he replied curtly. "You have until I'm done suiting up. Then I'm leaving."

"Fair enough." She swallowed and took a step closer, scavenging vainly for the right words. "The last time we spoke… I said some things that I… that I didn't mean. I let my emotions get the better of me and… that's why I reacted so rashly – _stupidly_ - to Circe's rumors. I…" Merlin, her tongue was tied in knots. She was sounding more pathetic by the second. This _wasn't_ how she wanted to explain herself to him, like a stammering fool making excuses. But something was holding her back from saying what she really felt.

Either way she was effectively pushing Sirius further away, if the impatient scowl on his face was any indication.

"You have to understand that I – I would take it all back if I could-"

"I've heard enough," Sirius cut in sharply. He stood and began walking out of the room, buckling his bracers as his went.

Kylie's chest clenched. There was something so final about the way he was walking away from her. Would she lose him forever if he walked out that door before she told him the truth? It was now or never.

"It's not like I never cared about you, Sirius!" Her voice brimmed with emotion and determination.

He halted in his steps, but he didn't turn around.

"I know you think I didn't – that you never meant anything to me from the start. And what I regret the most is that _I_ made you believe that. It was my own fault."

She swallowed. It felt like a hippogriff was sitting on her chest, but if she stopped now who knew when she would have the courage to open herself up again?

"I let myself believe those lies because of how I felt about you - the closer we got, the more afraid I was that you would let me down. There was a part of me that always wanted to run away, because I was scared of getting in too deep… Pushing you away felt like the safer choice. So in my rush to avoid getting hurt… I ended up hurting you instead."

It was getting harder to keep the tremor out of her voice. Merlin knew what Sirius was thinking. He hadn't moved an inch.

_Look at me_, she silently pleaded.

"I wish I'd told you this before," she said. Tears pricked at her eyes and she fiercely struggled to keep them at bay, "instead of being such a stubborn coward. You _weren't_ wasting your time with me Sirius. And you could never mean nothing to me. If you did… I wouldn't _feel_ this way right now. Devastated. H-heartbroken." Her voice finally broke on the last word. She hadn't planned on saying it – it just slipped out - and now everything was out there. She'd poured out her heart to him.

"Sirius, I'm so sorry." It was the only thing left to say. She dashed away the tears that threatened to fall, and out of the corner of her eye she saw him slowly turn on his heel.

Briefly, his eyes lingered on the ground, but then they flickered up to her face. He was still tight jawed, but the intensity in his gaze had her gripped. She'd have given anything to know what was going on behind that gray stare boring right through her.

What was only a moment felt like hours passing them by… and then finally there was a subtle shift in his demeanor. The hard edge around him faded.

"You're not a coward," he said quietly. Then, with a trace of a smile, he added, "But you _are_ stubborn."

When he looked at her there was warmth in his eyes. Her heart did a little leap.

As they gazed at each other, a faint cheering coming from outside reminded them that the match was minutes from starting.

"Good luck, Kylie," he said, picking up his broom that was leaning by the door. "After the match, we can talk more."

A bright, hopeful smile graced her lips and she nodded. Somehow she had a feeling everything would be alright.

* * *

Nearly two hours later, the Gryffindor Quidditch team poured in to their common room surrounded by the rest of their cheering and hollering house. Their teamwork was back on top form so Hufflepuff never stood a chance. Sirius and Toby were more than ready to redeem themselves after their last performance against Ravenclaw, and they helped to score so many points that it firmly propelled Gryffindor to the lead for the inter-house Quidditch tournament. The Snitch took an age to make its appearance, but when it finally did Kylie was instantly on top of it. She caught it before Hufflepuff's Seeker even realized what had happened.

Every Gryffindor was in the mood to celebrate as if they'd already won the House Cup. Somebody dug up a couple of wireless boxes to blast the latest hits from wizarding radio and others threw up last minute decorations including balloons that bounced haphazardly around the room and miniature fireworks that sparkled festively over their heads.

Sirius and James disappeared for a while and returned just as evening fell, bearing with them a feast's worth of butterbeers, pumpkin fizz and Honeydukes sweets, much to the delight of the crowd. For hours everybody ate, drank, laughed, sang and generally celebrated as exuberantly as possible, more than making up for Gryffindor's last dismal match.

Kylie spent most of the party in one corner with her friends, laughing and joking and feeling like herself again. She remembered she meant to talk to Sirius, but neither of them had had a chance. The party had been so lively that there simply hadn't been a good time for it yet.

She and Sirius had been meeting each other's eyes across the room several times, moments that felt surprisingly intimate despite all the people surrounding them. Every time Kylie noticed him looking her away, each of them smiled as if they were sharing a private joke. And each time it never failed to light a spark that warmed her to her very core.

Shortly after ten o'clock, the two seventh year prefects sent most of the first and second years to bed since it was after curfew. But even with fewer people, the party became no less raucous.

Around then Lily announced that she was going to get a pumpkin fizz refill, and at the refreshments table she was quickly engaged in conversation by James. Seeing that, Kylie scanned the room and noticed that Sirius was with Remus and a few seventh years, but not really taking part in the conversation. Their eyes met again, and Kylie knew it was the right time to approach.

"…Hey," she greeted with a tentative smile. After her locker room apology and the excitement of the match, everything seemed right between them again, but Kylie couldn't help but wonder if Sirius might need more time before they were back on comfortable terms once more. After all, there hadn't been time for him to say much before the match…

"Hey," he replied. His manner was casual but comfortable, no sign of anger or indifference.

A beat of silence followed as they assessed each other, before Kylie began, "Sirius, I…"

"It's okay, Kylie," he said, setting his empty butterbeer bottle onto a nearby table. "I forgive you. In fact, I realized I need to apologize as well."

"For what?"

"…For overreacting." He smiled self-deprecatingly. "I think… I let my pride get the better of me. …I was angry but I didn't have to be such a prat about it."

Folding her arms, she leaned slightly against the wall they were standing beside. "To be honest, I wasn't sure you would ever forgive me. I didn't think I deserved it."

"Well," he said, leaning against the wall and tilting his head personally towards her – ever a favorite move of his. "If forgiveness was always deserved, there wouldn't be a need for it."

"True." She smiled up at him. Her stomach did a little somersault when his hand reached out to brush back a strand of her hair that had fallen across her face. A reflexive gesture – she wondered if he even realized what he was doing when it happened.

Something had changed between them, there was no mistaking it. They had made up, but they were more than just 'back to normal'. It was like they'd passed a test of sorts and were now confronted with a different kind of tension. Except this tension wasn't based on hurt feelings or bruised pride – this tension was electrifying. The air around them fairly crackled.

A handful of unopened icy cold butterbeer bottles were on a nearby table, for which Kylie was supremely grateful. The common room was starting to feel rather hot.

"Shall we toast to Gryffindor's win?" she asked, eager to change the subject. Sirius had seemed quite content just to stand there gazing at her, sending her pulse racing and probably knowing full well the effect he was having.

He picked up his drink and lifted it to her glass, never once taking his eyes off of her.

"Here's to Gryffindor," she said, feeling a bit weak in the knees. "May we secure the House Cup for a third year in a row."

"To Gryffindor," he replied, barely above a murmur. She nearly dropped her bottle, distracted as she was by his smoldering nearness.

"Kylie, Sirius, wait!" called out a voice suddenly, jarring them both out of their staring. Taren was hurrying up to them through the crowd. "Don't drink those!"

"Why, what's wrong?" Kylie asked curiously.

"There's been a little mishap, I'm afraid," Taren explained, chuckling slightly. "I just found out that a fourth year, Rebecca Plover, may have accidentally spiked some of the drinks in here with Libertentia."

"The love potion?" Kylie remembered the name from Potions class yesterday – Libertentia was the one that stripped away inhibitions and compelled people to act on their romantic attractions. She gulped, realizing the implications.

"Yes – she's a bit distraught about it, actually. I overheard her telling her friend. They're over there in the corner, by the bookshelf," she said, gesturing. "It sounds like she found out about the cauldron of Libertentia Professor Hooke has set up in his dungeon, and she managed to sneak some out of there, Merlin knows how. She was trying to trick a fourth year boy into drinking some so she could prove that he fancies her, but she told me she thinks she bungled up the Decanting Spell and spiked a lot more than just one bottle of butterbeer."

"So there could be Libertentia in some of these?" Kylie asked, glancing at the bottle in her hand.

"Possibly, but don't worry you two," Taren said reassuringly, seeing their faces. "If you'd drunk Libertentia you would know immediately. Especially since its effects tend to be magnified by alcohol – even just a little like in butterbeer. Rebecca has already seen the effects firsthand – her crush planted a big sloppy kiss on her after just one sip."

Relief swept through Kylie, and she glanced at Sirius. At least she knew the vibes between them tonight were natural and not due to being literally love drunk.

Sirius appeared to be distracted. He grinned suddenly, his attention fixed on the middle of the common room. "You don't think Lily's had some of it, do you Taren?"

They looked around, noticing that Lily was in front of James, looking unsteady on her feet and staring rather dazedly at him. He appeared to be asking her what was wrong.

A second later she threw herself upon him, grasping his shirt and kissing him full on the mouth. The students closest to them broke off their conversations to gawk in general shock and astonishment, prompting the rest of the room to swivel their heads around to see why it had gotten so quiet. No one looked nearly as stunned as James himself.

Giggles and snorts broke out here and there. A few guys whistled. Lily didn't seem to have noticed. She was far too intent on snogging James and probably wouldn't have stopped if the very ground gave way beneath her feet.

"Ah… we should…" Kylie managed to say, recovering from her own surprise.

"Yeah," Taren agreed, muffling her giggles.

* * *

Barely fifteen minutes later, Kylie and Kimmie were situated in their dormitory, watching with bemused fascination as Lily tore around the room like a fiery whirlwind. One minute she had been obsessively rearranging a shelf of books to be alphabetized and then reverse alphabetized, and the next she had made and remade her bed. Now she was in the middle of organizing her sock drawer.

Doing anything, it seemed, to keep herself distracted from unwanted thoughts.

"It's _maddening!_" she kept declaring. "I can't stop thinking about _him!_ And _snogging_ _him! Arrgghh!_" With her last outburst she jammed her sock drawer close and breathed like she'd just run a marathon.

Moments ago Kylie and Taren had pried her off of James. She had still been under the potion's effects, and it had taken a jet of cold water to the face – courtesy of a quick-thinking but perhaps overzealous Kimmie – to snap her out of it.

Unfortunately for her, the effects of Libertentia did not include memory loss. No more than a few mortified seconds had passed, during which Lily had turned a most remarkable shade of fire engine red, gasped and spluttered, and made a series of other incomprehensible noises, before she'd dashed up to the dormitory faster than they'd ever seen her move.

All the while James had stood there blinking at her, haired messed up from where Lily had run her hands ardently through it and looking like he'd been hit over the head by a Bludger. Or two. Sirius had come by then, clapping him on the back and clearly trying very hard not to be very amused by the whole thing as he went about explaining it.

Kylie knew there was bound to be quite a few more Gryffindors who needed explanations, as well. Before she had gone upstairs after Lily, a dozen other couples had engaged in similarly spontaneous and unexpected embraces around the common room. Bystanders who hadn't imbibed any Libertentia were either baffled into silent shock by their friends' behavior, while others had dissolved into laughter after they'd understood what was going on.

Taren had stayed a few minutes more to try and clear up the situation while Kylie had gone upstairs with Kimmie to make sure Lily didn't tear the dormitory apart or do anything else drastic. Of course they'd merely discovered her cleaning and organizing the already perfectly tidy room like her life depended on it.

"I need something to do with my bloody hands!" she exclaimed, frustrated that she couldn't find anything else to fuss with now that her sock drawer was immaculately arranged.

"Lily," Kylie said as soothingly as possible. "You'll probably feel better if you just sit and relax, cool yourself down…"

"I _can't!_" she replied, wringing her hands. "You have no idea what this damn potion is doing to me. I keep feeling the urge to just run back down there to find Potter and jump him!"

"Whoa," uttered Kimmie, eyes wide. "That's hardcore, Lily."

Kylie could guess the mischievous thoughts running through Kimmie's mind at the moment. They probably revolved around plans to spike her Hufflepuff boyfriend, Casey Shipley's, coffee with Libertentia in the morning, just to see what would happen.

Taren arrived at the doorway, followed by Opal, Ocean and Mallory. The latter two were semi-supporting a dreamy and giggly Opal. Kylie briefly thought that Opal must have been another Libertentia victim, but then remembered that this was actually normal behavior for her.

"Toby kissed me! Can you believe it?" she exclaimed happily. "I _knew_ he still had feelings for me! I knew it!"

Toby Randall and Opal had dated last month. Toby, typically, had unceremoniously ended the relationship not long after it started, and a distraught Opal had been telling the rest of them all about it for several nights afterwards. Now she seemed to be under the impression that a little accidental Libertentia had revealed Toby's true, loving feelings for her.

Kylie sighed helplessly, wondering if Opal was getting her hopes up over nothing. When it came to a changeable guy like Toby, a potion like Libertentia would probably just make him latch on to the nearest pretty girl regardless of who it was.

"Everything's calmed down back there," Taren noted with a humorous sparkle in her eye. "Remus and I had to help pull apart a pair who had _both_ been drugged and were about to get _very_ carried away. Right in the middle of the common room."

Kimmie grinned. "I bet it was those two seventh year lovebirds, Helena Finch and Thatcher Flynn. Was it them?"

Taren shook her head. "Half right. It was Helena and Thatcher's twin brother, Terrence."

"_Ha_, you're joking!" Kimmie gasped with surprise. "Well, it's got to be awkward in the seventh year boys' dorm right now."

Lily, who had been pacing about the room and rubbing her forehead as if to rub away the effects of the potion through sheer force of will, let out a frustrated groan, "_Merlin's wrinkly backside, _this is ridiculous!"

Kylie smiled with suppressed mirth. She looked at Kimmie and mouthed, "Merlin's _what_?"

"Just how strong of a dose did I _get?_" Lily continued. "I feel like I'm going to jump out of my skin if I don't… if I don't… _Damn it!_ What kind of a nitwit screws up a Decanting Spell anyway? That's third year standard spellwork! I ought to throw Plover into detention for the embarrassment of that alone!"

Steam might as well been shooting out of her ears as she fumed and paced some more. Kylie shared a look with Taren, and she knew they were both wondering if they should remind Lily that it really wasn't the strength of the dose that mattered. After all, Libertentia couldn't have compelled Lily to act on an attraction that didn't already exist in the first place.

But then again, Lily probably hadn't forgotten that little detail at all. It was no wonder she was so discombobulated.

"Taren, please tell me that Plover thought to steal some antidotes while she was at it," Lily said suddenly.

"I'm sorry, Lily," Taren said, shaking her head. "I already asked her. She didn't foresee a need for them."

"We could go steal some if you like," spoke up Kimmie promptly. "Hooke probably has a few in his supply closet."

Lily gripped the back of a chair and squeezed her eyes shut. "Blast, I don't think I can wait that long…"

Kimmie eyes went even wider than before and she grinned with anticipatory glee. If she had just been thinking about using Libertentia on her boyfriend before, she was most certainly determined to do it now.

"Libertentia isn't supposed to last indefinitely… no more than a few hours at the most," Taren said thoughtfully. "You could take a sleeping potion, then be back to normal in the morning."

"Oh thank God," Lily sighed gratefully. "Does anyone have any sleeping potions?"

"Desdemona probably does," Kimmie said, hopping to her feet. She was referring to a fifth year Gryffindor they knew who'd recently developed a bit of a sleepwalking problem over O.W.L.s related stress. "I'll go borrow one from her."

"Thanks," Lily said as Kimmie trotted out the door. "And if she doesn't have any left, I don't care if you guys have to hit me over the head with something heavy. Just please don't let me go barging uncontrollably into Potter's dorm to have my way with him. I'll never be able to look him in the eye again as it stands."

Kylie and Taren laughed. "We promise."

Over in their corner of the dorm Opal, Ocean and Mallory were giggling away. They were blissfully unaware of the state Lily was in, absorbed as they were in discussing what had happened to Opal and Toby.

"I always knew he still secretly fancied you, Opal!" Ocean beamed at her twin. "He can't pretend he doesn't want you anymore, now that we've all seen the truth!"

"Libertentia never lies!" added Mallory brightly.

Lily pursed her lips but said nothing.

* * *

Rain pelted the dormitory windows, accompanied by the occasional rumble and flash of thunder. Kylie lay awake with one arm curled behind her head as she watched water trickle down the glass.

The storm had started after Kimmie had returned with a small sleeping potion bottle. Lily had gulped it down and promptly passed out on her bed, and subsequently everyone else retired for the night. Kylie, however, had been lying wide awake for an hour or two, her restless thoughts driving sleep away.

It would have been a hell of a day even without the Libertentia incident to top it off. Kylie didn't think her emotions had ever experienced such drastically different lows and highs just in the span of a few hours. It was definitely a lot to process, everything that had happened – and changed – between her and Sirius. And of course she had to contemplate what the Libertentia fallout was going to be the following morning. If Lily hadn't magically knocked herself out, Kylie was sure she would be lying awake fretting over the same thing with considerable more trepidation.

It was more than just the embarrassment of wantonly assaulting James with her mouth in front of a few dozen of her peers. Kylie had seen it in Lily's eyes when they'd overheard the Brooks twins' chatter. She knew very well what her reaction to the love potion meant, and how everyone else would interpret it.

Of course, Kylie knew that she, Taren and Kimmie had suspected the truth of Lily's feelings for a long time. She'd been keeping them buried deep down out of principle, unwilling to admit she was attracted to a guy whom she'd loathed for years.

But did Lily _really_ loathe James all that much? The way she always thought she'd 'loathed' Sirius? It dawned on Kylie how closely their two situations had mirrored one another, and how similarly the two of them had behaved throughout.

_I used to be just like her_, Kylie realized. They were both guilty of fiercely denying their feelings deep down to the point of obstinacy. _Why does she do it? She can't be scared like I was – Lily's the bravest person I know… But is it really just pride?_

_Or perhaps it's because James is finally growing up? If only just a bit, _Kylie thought with a smile.

Maybe that's what scared Lily – she was running low on excuses to keep on despising James. She'd always had a way of seeing the best in people, so she must have known deep down that there was a good-hearted, charming young man underneath that cocky, overbearing adolescent. It was a young man who was revealing himself more and more to her all the time, and he was someone she could grow to love. What's more, that young man was desperately in love with _her_.

Maybe she wasn't ready to face that. It was just too much change to accept.

But Kylie was finally beginning to understand how pointless and self-defeating it was to hold back what one really feels - whether it's because of fear, pride, anger or anything else. For her and Lily both, it was fighting a losing battle.

_You're never truly happy because you're not being honest with yourself… And you end up hurting people. _She thought of Sirius and the look on his face when she'd uttered those callous, brutal words to him – the briefest flash of hurt he'd quickly covered up with bitterness and anger. That must have been the moment she'd lost any doubt that Sirius really did care for her.

And he had forgiven her, stayed the course even after her most determined, foolhardy efforts to throw it all away.

_Probably because he knows I'm not perfect, so I'll occasionally make an ass out of myself_, she mused with a slight grin.

Had she been expecting perfection from him all these months? She'd told him she was afraid he would let her down and disappoint her. Looking back on that now, Kylie realized she'd been such an idiot, letting something like that hold her back. It was natural to be a little scared of giving in and trusting him, but it was downright irrational to refuse to budge for him on the off chance that he would reveal himself to be a human being with flaws and that something, anything, could go wrong.

She was a Gryffindor, for goodness' sake. She shouldn't be so terrified about making a leap of faith. Especially when it seemed more than ever that Sirius deserved her trust. He'd grown up this year as well.

_Starting tomorrow, I can make it up to him_, she thought, fluffed up her pillows, trying to make herself more comfortable. Sleep still eluded her, and Kylie wondered if her jumbled thoughts were going to keep her up all night.

A few more minutes of tossing and turning went by. She tried to make herself count Snitches in her head, a repetitive activity that usually helped her doze off. Tonight, however, it merely reminded her out of the blue that she'd left her broomstick in the common room.

Knowing it was down there served to make her even less sleepy, so Kylie decided she might as well go and fetch it now. With a sigh, she rolled out of bed, pulled on a light robe, and tip toed out of the dormitory so as not to disturb her roommates. Not that they could have heard her with the storm raging.

She carefully felt her way down the stone steps in the dark, wishing she'd thought to grab her wand from her bedside table.

Near the bottom she halted. There was firelight dancing on the walls, and as she silently crept down to peer around the curved stone wall she noticed that the common room was empty save for a single person. Someone was seated on one of the couches near the fireplace. Only a little bit of his face was visible from this angle, but Kylie recognized Sirius immediately. He had a book open in one hand with the other leaning on the armrest, and his legs were propped up on the coffee table.

Kylie couldn't help but smile. She'd done this herself a few times over the years – taken advantage of an empty common room to enjoy some late night reading. She had never thought to picture Sirius doing the same thing, but it was rather nice to know that they shared this hobby in common.

He looked so picturesque, too, just sitting there in the flickering firelight, clad in simple dark slacks and a casually buttoned shirt with the sleeves rolled up, utterly relaxed but still managing to look poised and sophisticated without even trying. Even when he was just lounging around he was fit for a photoshoot.

She opened her mouth, but the greeting she had meant to call out didn't make it past her lips. Her eyes briefly fell upon the table in the middle of the room where everyone had gathered together the possibly drugged butterbeers and various other drinks. A sudden and wild idea came to her unbidden.

_No way, I can't… it'd be mad. I don't even know why I would even _want_ to… It's too risky! _

All these thoughts rushed through her mind, but Kylie still found herself imagining what it would be like to drink Libertentia herself. She knew exactly how she would react under its effects… And yet no matter how embarrassing it would be, she couldn't help but think that there was something appealing about freeing oneself of all fears and anxieties for just a little while. The sensible part of her was having none of it, but there remained another rebellious, passionate part of her that wished she could walk into that room right now, throw away all the bollocks and just show Sirius how she really felt.

A loud clap of thunder jolted her out of her little trance. It also seemed to bring her wits back. What was she thinking? In what reality was purposefully drugging herself with a love potion a good idea? And how would Sirius feel about her doing something so stupid?

She mentally slapped herself for even coming up with the idea, and quietly snuck back up to her dormitory. There she shut herself in the bathroom and splashed some cold water on her face. For a long time she stared at herself in the mirror, wondering what had come over her tonight. She tried to blame it on the euphoria of winning the Quidditch match, or even the relief that had come from making up with him today. But the answer, she knew, was staring her straight in the face.

She and Sirius really had come to a point of no return. After all the sparks that had flown between them tonight, and not to mention the months of build up, something inside her had snapped. Or rather, something clicked into place. She knew in her heart that she was ready to embrace her feelings for him.

And she didn't need a cockamamie love potion scheme to do it.

Minutes later, Kylie tip toed down the spiral stairs. The robe she'd been wearing before had been discarded in the dormitory. All she wore as she stepped lightly into the common room was her loosely clinging white cotton camisole over matching boyshorts – typical sleepwear for her in the warm nights of spring and summer, but far more revealing than anything Sirius had ever seen her wear.

Her courage nearly failed her as her feet touched the common room carpet. Sirius had not yet sensed her presence – his attention was focused on his book and the storm outside would have muffled the sounds of her approach.

There was still time to change her mind and go back upstairs. She could curl up under the covers and wake up the next morning, pretending she'd never entertained the idea of taking the next step in their relationship – no more dancing around each other, but finally becoming a genuine couple.

There was no pressure to do it anyway. She could give herself more time, even wait out the last month of their bet until the After-Newts party and be sure she was ready.

But she _was_ ready. It was just her usual last minute fears keeping her rooted to the spot. She'd never done anything this bold before. It was both liberating and terrifying in full measure.

_How will he react?_ _Will he reject me? What if he laughs in my face?_

A second later she brushed those thoughts aside. Sirius would never laugh at her over something like this. And she couldn't believe that he would reject her outright, not after all they'd been through.

_After all_, she thought to herself, remembering the night they'd struck their deal. _He told me I was allowed to kiss him whenever I want_.

The memory made her smile and renewed her courage. She quietly let go of the breath she'd been holding and stepped into the room. Softly, she called out his name.

Sirius looked up and around, probably wondering if he'd heard right over the howling winds and rain pelting the windows.

"Oh, Kylie," he said in surprise. "I didn't think you'd be up this la-"

The words died in his throat. She'd come around from behind the couch, into the light of fireplace and in full view of him. There was loaded pause where he took in the sight of her in only her dainty nightclothes, and her tantalizingly exposed skin. He looked momentarily stunned, as if he wasn't sure he was dreaming or awake.

The almost feverish look on his face in the firelight made her feel even more daring. Without even thinking about it, she reached up to pull her hair out of its loose braid. It cascaded down around her shoulders as she sauntered closer.

"Kylie… what-"

"_Shhh_," she whispered. And she slipped onto his lap.

Every tendon in his body went taut, and his eyes glowed like hot coals, staring up at her. Before he could say anything else, she pressed her lips to his, slowly and tenderly. Heat ignited between them instantly, and she heard the book drop from his hands and clutter to the floor. He kissed her back, all surprise and resistance melting away. His mouth opened under her lips, and she felt the touch of his tongue. It tangled with hers, gently at first but quickly becoming more insistent.

They'd kissed before, but never quite like this. What had been a slow and lingering kiss turned into something fierce and all-consuming in a matter of seconds. All shyness and reserve long forgotten, she clung to him like a person starved and moaned against his mouth.

Desire splintered through her and tingled all the way down to her toes. She pressed and pressed herself against him, dizzy with longing. He responded in kind, moving his hands along her thighs, her hips, and backside, burning through her clothes. His fingers slipped under her shirt, roaming up her back to her shoulders, leaving trails of fire.

It was not enough. She undid the buttons on his shirt, desperate to touch him back. She could feel his heart pounding against her hands and he groaned from deep within his chest.

She couldn't think. All that mattered was him – him touching her, holding her. It was like they'd been lulled into a sensual trance. If she could have kissed like that for hours, she would have, but they both had to break away for air. He nuzzled the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent, sending delicious shivers all along her skin wherever his lips touched. She trailed kisses along his neck as well, and inhaled that same musky scent from the Amortentia. At one point her mouth found his earlobe to gently suckle it, causing him to suck in a sharp breath in turn.

Early on a distant, rational voice in her head had been urging caution, warning her against going too far. That voice had long since been smothered by the furious beating of her pulse in her ears and Kylie was way beyond caring about what was sensible or proper. This wasn't what she had intended to happen, but there was no stopping what she had set in motion. Nothing had ever felt more right than this moment, here, with Sirius.

Kylie wasn't sure when or how it happened, but soon she was lying back on the couch, legs wrapped around his waist as his weight pressed down on her and he plundered her mouth. All the buttons on his shirt were undone, and its folds hung open exposing his long, lean torso in the orange glow of the firelight. Her arms entwined around his neck, and her back arched up against his hand moving higher and higher under her shirt, boldly touching and stroking until she gasped out loud and forgot how to breathe. She didn't know how much more of this she could take before she exploded.

It was release she craved, a desperate need to satisfy the knot of pressure coiling in the pit of her stomach. This sensual but agonizingly slow build up was driving her mad. She positively ached for him.

Sirius lips went back to her neck, where he kissed along her throat and collarbone. He tugged down the thin straps of her camisole over her shoulder, giving his mouth better access as he moved down, down…

"_Sirius…_" His name escaped her in a soft, delirious moan. Pure instinct guided her hands as they drifted down his stomach and began fumbling with the clasp of his belt.

He grasped her hand suddenly, stopping her in her tracks. Kylie's eyes fluttered open in confusion. It took her a few seconds to register the complete turnaround of his mood. He stared down at her, breathing heavily, with traces of clarity dawning in his stormy eyes.

"Kylie… you're drugged." His voice was hoarse.

At first, she didn't understand. The love potions were the furthest thing from her mind at that point.

But by the time she did realize what he meant… it was too late to correct him. He was already hastily pushing himself up off the couch while all she could do was murmur feebly in protest.

"_No,_ _don't…_"

Sirius suddenly scooped her up into his arms, surprising her into silence. Before she knew it, she was being carried across the common room as if she weighed nothing at all. He paused only briefly before the girls' staircase to deactivate the anti-men charm and then brought her all the way upstairs to her dormitory. He quietly slipped inside and gently deposited her onto her bed.

"Sirius, wait," she uttered, finally managing to gather her wits about her. But he didn't hesitate as he turned and strode resolutely out of the room.

The door closed behind him, leaving Kylie in the dark. She remained lying there for a long time, still flushed and disoriented and trying to process everything that had happened. The image of Sirius' face when he'd looked down at her on the couch, twisted into an expression of pain and self-loathing, lingered in her mind's eye.

* * *

A/N: Don't worry, there won't be another year and a half between chapters! I've even already started chapter 15 ;). Hang in there cos' we're getting close to the end! I'd say… 2 more long chapters. And an epilogue.


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